


With the Chance We've Been Given

by indimitable



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, F/M, M/M, White House
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-05-20 18:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 26,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6019783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indimitable/pseuds/indimitable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens fake-dated for all of ten minutes. That ten minutes, however, was all it took for them to realize how much they actually wanted to date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- John

The cafe where John Laurens worked had a bit of a reputation. Most of the time, John was grateful for that reputation. It kept tourists away, and meant that the closest security guard was rarely more than fifty feet away. Today, on the other hand, John was wishing that the reputation had never stuck with the cafe.

Kitty’s Kitchen, owned by Kitty Livingston, was known for two things-- the location (very close to both the White House and the Capitol), and the sheer amount of politicians that frequented it. Due to the latter, there were security guards accompanying nearly all the patrons, which discouraged most tourists.

John had been working at the cafe for nearly a year now, and had somehow managed to avoid a certain senator during all of that time. Today, however, that man was currently standing outside, looking at their menu.

John bit his lip, desperately hoping his estranged father wouldn’t come in. Thankfully, he was distracted from his thoughts by the bell tinkling, and then, moments later, someone was leaning over the front counter, slightly out-of-breath. 

“John,” the man gasped, his violet eyes wide. John blinked, confused-- normally, it took at least a little kissing to get a man to gasp his name. “I’m Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton, I’m the new Secretary of the Treasury,” the man rambled, and yes, of course John recognized him. He’d seen his face all over the news lately as he excitedly explained his new debt plan, and debated it passionately with anyone he could.

That did not, however, explain how Secretary Hamilton knew his name. “I’m John,” he started, only to be abruptly cut off--

“Yes, I know, it’s on your name tag.” John flushed as he glanced down. He’d scribbled his name next to a lopsided smiley face, and he took a moment to be impressed that the other man could read his chicken scratch. “Anyways, I’m very sorry, and I hate to do this to you, but could you date me?” John blinked, nonplussed, but before he could ask Secretary Hamilton to clarify, the other man was talking again. “Just for a couple of minutes, you see my ex is outside, and well, Maria, she’s quite a bitch frankly, and she’ll leave me alone if she thinks I have a boyfriend.”

John nodded-- it seemed to be all he could do, as this (incredibly handsome) man didn’t seem to stop talking. 

“Would you like something to eat?” John asks Secretary Hamilton (should he call him Alexander? They are meant to be dating for the next couple of minutes, after all) as soon as he stops to breathe. He’s suddenly very glad that Peggy’s on her break. Alexander, however fake their relationship may be, is very much John’s type, something his co-worker would tease him about endlessly.

Alexander nods, and John is amazed that the shorter man takes a second to think about the question before opening his mouth again. From what he’s seen, the man is non-stop, and between that and the general confusion, his head is beginning to pound.

Before Alexander can answer, however, the bell over the door rings cheerfully, heralding the arrival of two people. One, much to John’s disgust, is his father, who is talking animatedly to a younger woman. A much younger woman, he notes with a brief wave of pity for his mother. The woman is about John and Alex’s age, with long dark hair and shockingly red lipstick. John sees Alex tense out of the corner of his eye, and realizes suddenly that his must be his ex. (He wonders briefly if this means Alex is bisexual, before promptly dismissing the thought as none of his business).

The cafe seemed to grow silent around John as his father looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time in five years. John looked down quickly, opening and closing the cash register merely for something to do with his hands. 

“John,” he said tightly, nodding at the son he’d disowned years ago. “Secretary Hamilton,” his tone became a little more cordial, but not by much. “I hear your debt plan will be voted on in a couple of weeks.” He held out his hand. Alexander did not take it, and John was suddenly grateful that Alexander had fake-asked him out (and a little bit regretful that he hadn't actually asked him out).

“Yes, you would know about that,” Alexander said coolly. John frowned, hoping that the smaller man would not choose now to get into one of his infamous fights. “I saw your press release, telling your constituents what you thought of it.” John held back a groan, giving up on having a peaceful day at work. “While it was full of inaccuracies, I suppose I must commend you for stating your opinion, ridiculous as it is, so boldly.”

“Ridiculous?” Henry Laurens drew himself up to his full height, and John winced automatically before remembering that he was safe from his father’s wrath now. “The only thing that’s ridiculous about it is the fact that they allowed a man like you to create our debt plan.”

Alexander glared at the senator, and John swore he was shaking in indignation. “A man like me?” He repeated. “What are you referring to, sir? My age? At least I’m not in danger of going senile.” The young woman, whom Alexander had named “Maria,” was smiling widely, apparently enjoying the show. “Or perhaps you’re referring to my sexuality. To which, I can only respond that at least i have a happy, stable, and monogamous relationship, with this wonderful man, no less.” He gestured to John, who opted to smile widely at his father and make a show of interlocking his fingers with Alexander’s. Maria stopped smiling, and Henry Laurens’ face was priceless. 

“You’re dating my so-- he--him?” Senator Laurens sputtered. His face flashed from pale to red to puce-colored, although he regained his composure quickly, straightening himself out. “Well, I certainly won’t be visiting this establishment again,” he said pompously. “And I’ll be sure to mention to dear old George what sort of man he’s hired.”

Alexander seemed to smile at the last sentence, before he turned to John. He glanced up at John, silently asking what relationship he could possibly have to South Carolinian Senator Henry Laurens, notorious for his sexism and racism. 

“My father,” John admitted, his throat tight. His blood rushed in his ears, as he faced the fact that he'd never truly escape his father's shadow.

“Ha!” His father spat. “I disowned him years ago, as soon as I found out what a faggot he is!” Alexander nodded, and John thought it might be the calmest he’d seen the other man in the ten minutes he’d known him. 

Seconds later, however, Alex betrayed that thought, springing forward to punch Henry Laurens in the jaw. 

Immediately, a camera flashed, and John turned to see the Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, holding up his cell phone. Peggy materialized next to him, apparently back from her break, and immediately started arguing with him over the cafe’s “no pictures” policy. 

When John glanced back to the situation in front of him, a large man who appeared to be a security guard was pulling Alexander away from John’s father, and talking to the Secretary of the Treasury urgently in a low voice. He pulled Alexander towards the exit, but the smaller man wriggled away quickly. He rushed back to the counter, scribbled something on John’s arm, flipped off his ex and John’s father, and then hurried out the door after his guard.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Alexander

As Mulligan hurried him into a taxi, Alexander couldn’t help glancing back. Through the cafe window, he could just make out John Laurens standing behind the counter, apparently shellshocked. Alexander felt a brief pang in his stomach, worried that he had hurt the other man.

As Mulligan told the cabbie their address, Senator Laurens and Maria Reynolds stormed out of the cafe. 

And as the taxi pulled away, Alexander swore he could see a faint smile on John’s face as he glanced down at his arm.

Before he left, Alexander had scribbled his number on John’s arm, hoping he’d get the chance to explain.

Alexander could feel Mulligan’s eyes on him, but neither of them said anything until they reached their apartment, not knowing what the cabbie might choose to repeat. Alexander could barely keep himself still, itching for his computer. He settled for his phone instead, preparing to verbally assault Senator Laurens on Twitter. 

"No," Mulligan snapped, breaking his silence. He snatched Alexander's phone away immediately, shoving it into his pocket. Alexander pouted, staring out the window as he drafted insults in his head.

The second they were inside, Mulligan rounded on Alexander. “Hamilton, what the hell?” His security guard/roommate/best friend growled. “Everyone already knows you love fighting with people, was punching a goddamn senator really necessary?”

“Absolutely!” Alexander cried. “You saw the way he talked, the things he said! Hell, I should’ve shot him in the mouth-- that would’ve shut him up.”

“He’s going to talk to Washington about it,” Mulligan warned. “You heard him, he even called him ‘dear old George!’”

“So?” Alex said flippantly, flopping down on their couch. “Washington can’t fire me, I’m the best for my job. I'm practically his right-hand-man! And besides, he’s the opposite of homophobic! You know he and Lafayette have been getting it on for years. Hell, we’ve walked in on them more times than I can count!” 

Mulligan sighed, shucking off his jacket and tossing it in the general direction of the coat rack. It landed on the cat, who hissed and clawed her way out from underneath it. “Still, this will be very bad press if it gets out. And why did you ask Senator Laurens’ son to fake date you, moments before the senator walked in?” 

“Maria was there,” Alexander explained. “I needed someone there so she wouldn’t say anything to me, and she knows I’d never date you. And I didn’t know Senator Laurens even had a son!” He yanked his hair out of its’ ponytail, running his hands through it. “Let alone a cute son,” he added as an afterthought. 

“Why was she with Senator Laurens anyways?” Mulligan frowned, heading into the kitchen. 

“He’s not exactly known for monogamy,” Alexander pointed out, not caring enough to dissect the situation. Mulligan returned with two beers, throwing an unopened one to Alexander. “Can we go back to Senator Laurens’ son though? Specifically, how hot he is?”

Mulligan rolled his eyes, just as Alexander’s phone buzzed. “Maybe that’s your booty call already,” he suggested, taking a swig of his beer. Alexander scoffed, picking up his phone. He tapped at the screen quickly, his face lighting up as it buzzed again.

“Let me guess,” Mulligan drawled. “It’s Johnny-boy.” Alexander glared at his friend, but nodded.

from (xxx)xxx-xxxx: hi  
from (xxx)xxx-xxxx: it’s john (from the coffee shop)  
to john: Hi! I’d apologize for punching your dad, but you looked very glad I did it.  
from john: no worries, he’s a bag of dicks  
to john: Yeah, I figured. I’m very sorry if I put you in an awkward position though.  
from john: it’s fine :) been in weirder situations  
from john: u would not believe the crazy politicians who come in  
from john: no offense  
to john: None taken. I did notice Jefferson there... I’m well acquainted with his brand of crazy.  
from john: my coworkers and I try to kick him out every now and then, but the owner likes him  
to john: Kitty knows everyone, and likes everyone.  
to john: Anyways, I know we didn’t have the best start. Can I try again?  
from john: sure?  
to john: I was thinking maybe we could get coffee sometime.  
from john: as long as it’s not at Kitty’s  
from john: Peggy and Eliza (coworkers) would tease me for years  
to john: Awesome! Tomorrow at 8 at the Starbucks that’s around the corner from Kitty’s?  
from john: see u then!  
from john: :)

to go-the-distance: HErC I HAVE A DATE   
from go-the-distance: alex you asshat i’m literally sitting next to you  
from go-the-distance: but wow this must mean a lot  
from go-the-distance: you broke your “proper english” texting rules  
to go-the-distance: hercuLEEEEEEEES I CAN GO THE DISTANCE  
from go-the-distance: fuck off you're drunk  
from go-the-distance: and still sitting next to me what the hell


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- John

John, being a semi-recent college graduate, was still neck-deep in student loans, and thus not rich enough to afford many clothes. Unfortunately, today, he seemed to have more clothes than he’d previously realized.

After five hours of sleep, four cups of coffee, and three hours of sorting through his closet, John made two phone calls. First, he called Eliza Schuyler. 

She answered the phone, snarled out an unintelligible threat, and then promptly hung up on him. John sighed, knowing he should have known better than to contact the middle Schuyler sister before giving her coffee. 

He called her younger sister instead, knowing that Peggy was slightly easier to reason with in the morning.

“Hello?” Peggy’s voice lifted John’s spirits immediately, despite the fact that she sounded very groggy. She would give him shit about this, sure, but she would also help him, and he desperately needed help. 

“Hey, Peg!” John exhaled, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “I have a date today...” he trailed off, and Peggy giggled, apparently waking up already.

“With Alexander Hamilton!” She cried. “Of course! You guys were making some serious bedroom eyes at each other yesterday. I was only in the same room as you two for five minutes, and it was obvious you wanted to bang.”

“We weren’t-- I didn’t---” John objected. “Well, yes, it’s with him.” He could hear Peggy clapping her hands. “Could you maybe get Eliza up and come help me?” John pleaded. “I have way too many clothes, and somehow I have nothing to wear!” Peggy’s giggles turned into maniacal cackles, and she hung up on him. 

John frowned at his phone. Was there a note taped to his forehead that said “Schuyler sisters-- please ignore this man?” Of course, the third Schuyler sister had never ignored him, but then again she’d never met him in person either.

Luckily for him, his phone buzzed a second later.

from peg-leg: be there soon! make liza coffee though she’s not really awake  
from peg-leg: she’s snoring in the backseat   
to peg-leg: thank god  
to peg-leg: literally are u god  
from peg-leg: go away i’m driving

Minutes later, a loud knock sounded on John’s door. He hopped up, narrowly avoiding tripping over a pile of clothes. He made his way to the door, pulling it open. Eliza Schuyler fell into his arms, yawning widely. She seemed to have a mustache drawn on her face.

“Sorry about her,” Peggy said cheerfully, stepping daintily past them and into John’s kitchen. “I got her Starbucks on the way here, but she’s only had three shots.” John scooped Eliza up into his arms, settling her down on his couch. She immediately snuggled into the cushions, accepting the mug of coffee her younger sister brought her.

“So, loverboy,” Peggy smiled wickedly, flashing pearly teeth at John. “Tell me all about this date.”

“You would’ve known about this if you didn’t take your break at rush hour yesterday,” John informed her, sitting on the floor by Eliza’s head. Peggy raised an eyebrow, sitting at her sister’s feet. “He came in, and asked me to date him seconds after introducing himself.” 

Peggy gasped, opening her mouth to fire off questions, and he held up a hand to stop her. “His ex was coming around the corner, and he didn’t want her to talk to him, so he asked me to pretend to date him so she’d leave him alone.” 

Eliza lifted her head, holding out her empty mug to no one in particular. Her sister got up quickly to refill it, then settled down at her feet again, motioning for John to continue the story.

“His ex came in, accompanied by...” John trailed off for dramatic effect, and Eliza sat up, cradling her mug against her chest and looking around blearily. “My father.” John sighed, and Eliza actually gasped. Peggy shot her older sister an incredulous look, and John rolled his eyes at the pair, continuing. “He and Alexander got into a fight, over Alexander’s debt plan and my father’s general assholeness. Then Alexander punched him, and his security guard immediately took him away.” 

“And Jefferson got a picture!” Eliza reminded him. Peggy frowned at her sister.

“How do you know about that?” John and Peggy asked simultaneously. 

“Angelica is Washington’s press secretary, remember?” Eliza reminded them. “Jefferson approached the President with the picture, trying to get Hamilton removed from office.”

“Are you serious?” Peggy snapped, throwing up her hands in exasperation. “I thought I deleted that picture from his phone!” Eliza shrugged, gulping down the last of her coffee.

“It didn’t work,” Eliza said. “According to Angelica, Washington just sighed and told Jefferson to quit his bickering.” John relaxed against the couch in relief. It would be incredibly awkward if he met up with Alexander only to find out that the other man lost his job over him.

“So anyways,” John continued, getting back to his story. “Alexander put his number on my arm before he left, and then I texted him later.”

“Why is it still there?” Peggy pointed out, tapping his arm. It was faded a little, but the numbers were definitely still there, in handwriting that was possibly worse than John’s (an incredible feat).

“He used permanent marker,” John groaned. Peggy cracked up, and Eliza sent him an apologetic look.

“So why are we here?” Eliza asked, attempting to calm down her younger sister. “Not that I don’t love your tiny-ass apartment, but I seem to have missed the first part of the conversation.” 

“Because you threatened to dismember me,” John pointed out, rolling his eyes. “And then hung up on me.” 

“Sorry!” Eliza exclaimed, seemingly back to her sweet self now that she’d consumed ridiculous amounts of caffeine.

“Ah, Eliza,” John grinned. “Best of platonic wives and best of women-- after coffee, of course. I need some help picking out what to wear, I have to be there in-- oh.”

“Oh?” Peggy prodded. “Oh what?”

“Oh, shit,” John answered, voice laced with panic. “I have to be there in an hour!” The youngest Schuyler sisters exchanged a look over his head.

“John, go take a shower,” Peggy commanded. “We’ll pick out some clothes, and then we have to go cover your stupid shift for you.” John threw his arms around both of them at once, only for them to shoo him off immediately.

 

Despite Peggy driving him there (at a minimum of ten miles over the speed limit), by the time John reached the Starbucks, Alexander was already visible through the window, typing furiously on a laptop. “Shit shit shit, am I late?” John exclaimed, glancing at the clock. 

“You’re ten minutes early,” Peggy rolled her eyes. “Now get out of my car, or Eliza and I will be late.” John pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks, then jumped out of the car. Peggy sped away, Eliza waving out the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gradually getting longer, although the chapters are still a bit shorter than I'd like. The relationships in the tags will come into play soon, too!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Alexander

Alexander had been sitting in the Starbucks for two hours, since it opened. During that time, he’d been working non-stop. He had consumed several cups of coffee, written a couple essays, and was currently composing his 51st tweet to Thomas Jefferson. This one would be the final in a series of tweets tearing apart Jefferson’s latest proposed bill. Why on earth did the man think it would be a good idea for them to spend time on the “beautification of the White House?” They were $13 trillion in debt, and counting!

As he typed, Alexander gradually became aware of another person’s presence. He finished up his tweet and glanced up, realizing that sometime in the last couple of minutes, John had sat down opposite him.

“Oh, hi!” Alexander exclaimed, shoving his laptop into his bag and accidentally knocking over his cup of coffee in the process. “Sorry, didn’t quite realize you were there. You’re ten minutes early, actually.” 

“So are you,” John pointed out, reaching for some napkins to mop up the coffee. “My friends Peggy and Eliza dropped me off, and Peggy’s driving is very rarely under the speed limit.”

“Peggy and Eliza, hm?” Alexander grinned, recognizing the names instantly. “They don’t happen to be two of the Schuyler sisters, do they?” 

“Yeah, they are!” John replied. “Do you know them?”

“Not exactly,” Alexander told him. “Their sister, Angelica, is the White House Press Secretary. She brags about her awesome sisters frequently.”

“Oh, that’s funny,” John laughed. At Alexander’s questioning look, he elaborated. “I know of Angelica through Peggy and Eliza, and I believe I’ve Facebook-friended her, but I’ve never actually met her. It seems like you and I have narrowly avoided meeting each other.”

“Shame we didn’t meet each other sooner,” Alexander said without thinking. He glanced up quickly, catching a smile on John’s face before the other man took a sip of his coffee.

“True,” John agreed. “Although if we met sooner you probably wouldn’t have punched my father, and that was pretty nice to see.” Alexander laughed, warmth filling him. He’d stayed up half the night worrying. He hadn’t wanted John to hate him for punching his father, and despite his reassurances via text he had been nervous about it. He also wanted to make sure John wouldn’t get in trouble at his work because of Alexander. He knew Kitty Livingston, and was pretty sure she wouldn’t yell at John, but he was also pretty sure that having two politicians get in a fight over an employee wasn’t exactly her goal when she opened her cafe.

“Speaking of that, you’re not in trouble, right?” Alexander asked, leaning forward. John shook his head.

“Kitty likes me too much to fire me,” John shrugged, stealing a piece of Alexander’s cookie. Alexander relaxed, only to stiffen again as John let out a tiny moan. 

“This cookie is really good,” John told him. Internally, Alexander freaked out. Yes, the cookie was good, but John had closed his eyes in bliss, and then he made that sound! 

He realized John was speaking to him, and attempted to dismiss his thoughts. ‘Alex, you are a grown man, not a teenager,’ he told himself sternly. ‘Pay attention to what the man is saying, not what you want to do to him!’

Unfortunately for Alexander, the last thing John had said appeared to be a question. “I...yes?” Alexander stammered, his cheeks heating up. He was way too embarrassed to admit he hadn’t been paying attention, especially considering what he’d really been thinking about.

That didn’t seem to have been the right answer. John nearly spat out his coffee, then started coughing. Alexander shot up, pounding him on the back instantly. Mulligan, who had sat at a nearby table (“I’ll give you two lovebirds some privacy”), was doing a very bad job hiding his snickers behind a newspaper.

“You punch senators in the mouth often?” John asked once he’d managed to stop coughing. Alexander shook his head, mentally slapping himself.

“Sorry, no. I kinda zoned out,” he admitted. John laughed.

“Yeah, I figured,” he told Alexander. “You looked like your mind was focusing on something else.”

“I, well, I have to debate Jefferson soon,” Alexander offered, hoping John couldn’t see through his blatant lie. He had been thinking about someone much more attractive than Jefferson, and about an activity much more interesting than debating (now, that was a sentence you didn’t hear Alexander Hamilton say every day!). “Did you hear about his latest bill?”

“I work about half a mile from the White House,” John reminded Alexander. “Politicians are the only customers I ever get. I hear about bills before the House does, sometimes.”

“True,” Alexander nodded. “But it was only proposed yesterday, so I wasn’t sure. Sorry, should we not talk politics?”

“What Jefferson does isn’t politics,” John rolled his eyes. “It’s stupidity.” 

Alexander was fairly sure he wanted to marry John.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- John

John was pretty sure the date was going well. He hadn’t been on a date in a little while, so he may have been a bit rusty, but he’d always been reliable with the ladies, and even more so with the men. 

At one point, he’d purposely let out a little moan, as if enjoying his cookie a little too much-- and oh, Alexander’s face had been an amazing sight to see. His pupils dilated, and his lips parted before he bit down on his lower lip. Damn, if that didn’t do things to John! 

Alexander didn’t look as though he’d been paying attention, but unfortunately, John hadn’t been paying attention either, and now had to come up with something to say. “Do you...do you make a habit out of punching other politicians?” John tried, hoping against hope that his face wasn’t as flushed as he thought it was.

Either Alexander really hadn’t been paying attention, or he was a lot crazier than John had previously thought. “I...yes?” The shorter man stammered adorably, just as John took a sip of coffee. He did his best not to spit his drink out, only to choke on it. Alexander froze for a split second before leaping up and pounding him on the back, much to John’s chagrin. Thankfully, he got himself under control relatively quickly.

John repeated his question, and Alexander looked embarrassed. John almost wanted to make him embarrassed more often, because that face was priceless. 

From there, the date only got better. They discussed everything from Jefferson’s stupidity (“Peggy, Eliza, and I have tried to kick him out of the cafe 57 times and counting”), to the fact that the French Ambassador and the POTUS were totally getting it on (“you would not believe how much Lafayette rants about his abs!” “Still can’t believe you know two of the most politically influential people in the city”), to which Hogwarts house they’d be in (“Ravenclaw, obviously” “Obviously! I’d be Hufflepuff, I think”).

Eventually, however, Alexander received a call. The second he glanced at the caller ID, his face fell, and John frowned, worried. 

“I have to take this,” Alexander told John, who nodded.

“Is everything okay?” He asked, wondering what could make the other man’s eyes lose their light like that. 

“Oh, of course!” Alexander reassured him. “It's Burr, he's probably just telling me they need me at the office. I'm just disappointed I have to cut this short.” 

That made John grin. “Well, at least it's a better exit than last time,” he pointed out. Alexander nodded, looking as though he was struggling with something. Then he leaned forward suddenly, planting a gentle kiss on John’s cheek before he could react.

“I'll text you,” Alexander promised. John sat there dumbly for a second, then sprang to his feet before Alexander could leave. 

John leaned down to kiss the shorter man on the forehead. “You better,” he told Alexander, who stretched up on his toes to throw his arms around his neck briefly before leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if there's anything you want to see happen in this fic!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Alexander

On the car ride to the White House, Alexander could barely sit still, much to Mulligan’s amusement.

“Do you realize you’re practically vibrating with excitement?” Mulligan asked. Alexander scoffed, then glanced down to realize his knees were actually shaking a little bit. “This might be the longest you’ve gone without checking Twitter in the entire time I’ve known you,” Mulligan mused.

“Did something happen?” Alexander asked, pulling out his phone instantly. He was faced with a barrage of angry tweets from Jefferson, most of them in response to Alexander’s earlier attack. Alexander smiled, too happy about John to even be upset. He tapped out a single tweet (@tjeffs: you managed to type an even longer response than I did. get a life!), and put his phone away.

Mulligan raised an eyebrow; that was obviously not the response he’d been expecting. “Did John slip something into your coffee when I wasn’t looking?” He questioned. Alexander laughed.

“He didn’t need to!” Alexander exclaimed, hopping out of the car. “He’s so adorable, and so smart, and so funny...I’d probably do whatever he asked anyways.”

“You’re acting like a middle-schooler with their first crush,” Mulligan informed Alexander, who had to refrain from sticking his tongue out.

“At least I have a crush!” Alexander cried. “When was the last time you went on a date?” Angelica Schuyler walked up beside them, her heels tapping impatiently. 

“Took you long enough to get here,” she grumbled. “Were you seriously on a date?” Alexander nodded, grinning. “With John Laurens?” Alexander’s grin only grew wider, and his heart did a somersault upon hearing John’s name.

“How do you know about that?” Mulligan frowned. Much to Alexander’s annoyance, he was easily keeping pace with Angelica, while Alexander himself was struggling a little to keep up with his companions’ long legs.

Angelica turned to look at him incredulously. “A,” she raised a long, manicured finger. “I am the White House Press Secretary, it is my job to know what goes on with politicians.” Mulligan nodded. “B,” she held up a second finger. “My sisters both work with him, and I’ve heard more stories of him than I can count.” 

“What sort of stories?” Alexander asked, nearly tripping over himself in his hurry to catch up with Angelica and Mulligan. “Can I hear these stories?”

“Maybe after we finish figuring out what to do about you and Jefferson,” Angelica sighed. “That’s the only reason we made you come in today.” They reached the side entrance to the White House, and the three of them flashed their badges to the security guards flanking the entrance. They were ushered in immediately, and Alexander and Mulligan followed Angelica to the Oval Office.

 

Washington was already there, sitting behind the famous desk. He was talking quietly to Lafayette, who was perched on the edge of the desk (practically in the President’s lap). Alexander scowled as he noticed Jefferson, who was leaning casually against the wall frowning at the President and the French Ambassador. 

Angelica cleared her throat as they entered the room, drawing the eyes of its’ occupants effortlessly. Jefferson glared at Alexander, who scowled harder. Lafayette turned slightly, grinning at Mulligan and Alexander. Alexander felt a rush of affection for his friend, hoping that they could defuse the President’s anger a little.

Washington stood up, placing a hand on Lafayette’s shoulder as if to reassure them. Alexander thought it more likely that the President was trying to reassure himself. 

“You two,” Washington began, gesturing between Jefferson and Alexander. Jefferson pulled a perfect “who, me?” face. “Your rivalry has got to stop.” Both Jefferson and Alexander started to protest at once, only to fall silent when their President raised his hand. “It can continue in private, via emails to each other or yelling at each other-- outside of my presence. But in public places, and on Twitter, I don’t want you to say a word to each other. Act polite in public if you must, or ignore each other, I don’t care. You are, however, part of the same government, and this must end.”

“Of course, Mr. President,” Jefferson said oilily. Alexander tried very hard to refrain from making a face at his back, but wasn’t entirely sure if he succeeded or not.

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Alexander promised. Unfortunately, that was the best he could say. He and Jefferson had never gotten along, and it wouldn’t be easy to start now.

“I’ll make sure they follow your rules,” Angelica told Washington, rolling her eyes at the pair of them. “And if they don’t, I will lock both of them out of their Twitter accounts for a year.” Alexander froze. She couldn’t! 

Washington laughed, moving to sit down behind his desk again. “Now, that would be a blessing,” he muttered. Alexander pouted before he could stop himself.

“Ah, Mr. President,” Jefferson spoke up. God, his voice grated on Alexander’s nerves! “Isn’t there another matter? Concerning a senator...and his son?”

Ice raced through Alexander’s veins. What was Jefferson trying to say here? His relationship was none of that bastard’s business!

“It has been discussed,” Washington told the asshat. Was it Alexander’s imagination, or did he sound as fed up with his Secretary of State as Alexander was? “Alexander will refrain from punching senators, and you will refrain from meddling in his personal life.” Alexander grinned. He could manage not to punch Senator Laurens, especially if it meant he got to date his son! 

Wait... were they dating? They’d only gone on one date. Should Alexander ask him out? He didn’t want someone else to ask John out. But maybe it was too soon?

“Alexander,” Mulligan’s voice cut through his musings, and he felt a large hand on his back. “Time to go.” Alexander blinked, and nodded. He caught sight of Jefferson sneering at him, and glared back before Mulligan pushed him semi-gently out of the room.

“Did you see the look on his face?” Alexander snapped as soon as they were in their car. Mulligan sighed, glancing over his shoulder as he backed out of the parking lot. “He just keeps sucking up to Washington! One day, Washington will get fed up with him and kick him out. He has to! Jefferson is such a... a....” Alexander trailed off, somehow unable to come up with a good insult.

“Southern motherfucking Democratic Republican?” Mulligan offered. 

“Exactly!” Alexander cried. “Thank you.” His phone buzzed, and Alexander’s heart leapt, hoping it was John.

“That your boytoy?” Mulligan asked casually, leaning over at the next red light. 

“Lafayette,” Alexander answered distractedly. “They’re coming over tonight, and they want to know if we want to go out.” 

“Always,” Mulligan grinned. “Why don’t they just come over now? They haven’t been over in a while.” Alexander asked Lafayette this, then made a disgusted sound.

“They said they’re ‘busy with Georges,’” Alexander quoted. Mulligan made a face. “You’d think they’d be polite enough to make up an excuse, rather than tell us they’re currently banging the leader of the Free World.”

Mulligan slammed to a stop in front of their apartment building a little harder than was probably necessary. “Really, Hamilton?” He groused. “That was not an image I needed in my mind.”

“If I have to deal with that, you may as well too,” Alexander said cheerfully as they climbed up the stairs to their apartment. “Should we invite Angelica out with us? She seemed really stressed today, maybe she could use a couple drinks.”

“I thought you learned your lesson last time we went drinking with Angelica Schuyler,” Mulligan raised an eyebrow, fumbling with his keys. “She can drink you under the table in ten minutes flat.”

“I’m doing the nice thing by inviting her!” Alexander protested. “Maybe if I get her drunk I can convince her to not take away my Twitter account next time I fight with Fuckerson.”

“Of course you have a secondary motive,” Mulligan sighed, ushering Alexander into their apartment. The cat wove around Mulligan’s ankles immediately, and he picked her up. “I think Martha missed us,” he said cheerfully. “Alright, let’s invite Angelica...” he turned around to find Alexander already tapping out a text message to her. 

“She says Eliza and Peggy have to come too, they were going to go out tonight for a sisterly bonding night,” Alexander informed Mulligan. “Which might be fun because we still haven’t met them, despite her talking about them all the time.”

“More single, hot women?” Mulligan shrugged. “I’m way too straight to say no to that.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. It's mostly just a filler chapter. Things will start getting more interesting in the next chapter.

Chapter 7- John

After what was probably the happiest couple hours in John’s life, he was in such a great mood that not even his father would have been able to bring him down. A couple minutes after Alexander (was it normal for his heart to beat faster just at the thought of the other man?) left, John left Starbucks for another cafe.

By the time he walked to Kitty’s, it was half an hour after the lunch hour had ended, and the cafe was blessedly empty. Eliza and Peggy were both behind the counter, chatting animatedly. They glanced up when the door opened, identical smiles splitting their faces.

“How did it go?” Peggy asked excitedly, jumping over the counter to grab his hands and pull him towards a table. Eliza grabbed a couple sandwiches from behind the counter and joined them, passing a sandwich to John and one to Peggy. “John, details! Now!” Peggy exclaimed.

“It went great,” John laughed at his friend. “He hates Jefferson as much as we do, and he loves Harry Potter, and apparently the President is fucking the French Ambassador.”

“How did the last one come up?” Eliza raised an eyebrow, and Peggy leaned forward, always eager for gossip.

“He knows the President, obviously, and apparently he’s really good friends with the Marquis de Lafayette,” John told them. Eliza’s eyes were wide, and Peggy looked as though she was about to fall off her chair from excitement. “He calls them Lafayette. Also, he showed me lots of pictures of his cat! She’s almost as cute as her owner, which is saying something.” 

“Aww,” Eliza cooed. “What type of cat?” 

“His roommate found her on the street,” John answered. “They think Persian and another type too maybe. Alexander just called Martha ‘white, fluffy, needy, and adorable.’” Eliza clapped her hands together.

“The Secretary of Treasury has a roommate?” Peggy queried. “Isn’t he rich enough that he doesn’t need one?”

“He came from poverty,” John shrugged. “He’s not used to living above his means. Besides, his roommate, Mulligan, is also his best friend and his security guard, so it’s a win-win.” Peggy nodded, getting up to grab herself another sandwich. “It’s actually kinda weird that we hadn’t met before today though,” John continued. “He knows Angelica--” Both sisters cut him off.

“Our Angelica?” The youngest Schuyler sisters asked simultaneously. 

John nodded. “They both work in the White House,” he pointed out. “And he gets into a lot of fights. She’s the press secretary, it’s literally her job to make sure people like him don’t ruffle too many feathers.”

“True,” Peggy nodded, just as her phone buzzed. “Ah, speak of the devil!” She cried. “Angelica’s changing our plans tonight, Liza.”

“I thought you three were going out for sister time tonight?” John asked. “You guys had this planned for a while.”

“Yeah,” Peggy nodded. “But your new lover, his security guard, and the French Ambassador are going out for drinks tonight, and they invited her to come along. So she accepted, and told them Liza and I would come too.”

“That sounds like a fun crowd,” Eliza shrugged. “John, would you like to come?” Eliza asked sweetly, a glint in her eye. “After all, you still haven’t met Angelica. And your dear Alexander would be there, too.”

“He’s not mine,” John objected. “But I’m never one to turn down a night on the town.” 

“He’s not yours yet,” Peggy chimed in. “From the look on your face when you talk about him, you’ll end up dating him very soon.” She tapped something out on her phone, and Eliza’s phone buzzed a second later.

“Are you seriously texting each other from ten feet away?” John asked incredulously. 

“We’re placing bets on how long it will take you two to start dating,” Eliza informed him apologetically. Peggy smiled widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm going to start using a couple more points of view! Not too many, but it will become necessary to use a couple later.   
> The next chapter will likely be Alexander, but let me know who you'd like to see after that- Angelica, Eliza, Mulligan, or Lafayette. If you guys really want to see a Peggy POV, I might write it in a couple times, but not too often.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Alexander

By the time Alexander, Mulligan, and Lafayette entered the club, John and the Schuyler sisters were already sitting at the bar. Angelica caught sight of them, and she waved at them over the crowd. They made their way over to her, and she gave Mulligan a sloppy hug. 

“You,” she proclaimed a little too loudly. Angelica appeared to be a little tipsy already. “Alexander hasn’t gotten into trouble in ten hours! You work miracles.” Mulligan laughed, prying her arms off of himself. He leaned past her to order two beers for Alexander and himself, as well as a martini for Lafayette. “Alexander!” Angelica shouted over the music. “You can finally meet my baby sisters! That’s Eliza,” a beautiful young woman waved at Alexander from her spot next to John. 

“Hi,” she called. “That’s Peggy, and you already know John,” she said casually, waving towards the two people next to her.

John had apparently been trying to chug his beer faster than Peggy, and looked as though he was failing miserably. Sure enough, Peggy slammed her bottle onto the bar as Alexander watched, with John still drinking from his. He finished a couple seconds later, only to find all three Schuyler sisters laughing at him.

“John,” Alexander called, stepping up next to Eliza. John took a fresh beer from the bartender, turning to look at Alexander. A dopey smile slid onto his face immediately, and he hopped up.

“Alex!” John cried, looking down at Alexander. His speech was a little slurred, and his cheeks were flushed.

“How much have you had to drink?” Alexander asked, frowning. He appeared to be much more drunk than Angelica, although Alexander knew from experience that she could hold her liquor.

“Two pints of Sam Adams, and I’m working on three,” John informed him drunkenly. Alexander blinked; apparently, the larger man was a lightweight.

“He can’t hold his booze,” Peggy laughed. Having just met her, Alexander wasn’t sure if she was drunk or naturally happy. “And he’s an affectionate drunk,” she told Alexander. “You should get some whiskey into him,” she confided with a wink. Her laughter was infectious, and Alexander suddenly regretted the fact that until today, he’d only known the oldest Schuyler sister.

“Can I have that?” A quiet (well, quieter than the rest of Alexander’s companions) voice asked. Alexander glanced down at the woman Angelica had introduced as Eliza, who was tapping her fingers against his beer. “I haven’t had nearly enough alcohol to deal with how tipsy my sisters are.” Alexander passed her his beer. 

He decided to take Peggy’s advice, and signaled for the bartender’s attention. Two whiskeys in hand, he passed one to John and downed the other himself, ignoring Mulligan’s alarmed look.

Three shots of whiskey later, Alexander looked around, taking stock of the situation. Angelica and Lafayette were spewing rapid-fire French at each other, and from what Alexander could make out through his drunken haze, they appeared to be talking about cheese. Eliza had vacated her stool in favor of leaning against the bar and talking to Mulligan, who was attempting to flirt with her. Alexander quickly stole her seat-- or rather, he tried to. 

He wasn’t quite sure how, but somehow he ended up stumbling forwards and smacking into something very tall and very broad. Alexander laid his head against it for a few moments, listening to its’ heartbeat, before it vibrated. He moved backwards a couple feet, looking up to find John Laurens smiling down at him. 

Alexander’s heart leapfrogged into his throat. He swallowed, trying to force it back down into it’s proper place and failing. Before he could think about it, he stretched up on his toes to press his lips against John’s. John didn’t move at first, and Alexander started to move away, leaning backwards.

Before he could properly move away, however, John puts a hand behind his neck and a hand on the small of his back. John tugs him closer and then John’s lips are covering his again and oh, this is obviously what people mean when they say fireworks.

Normally, Alexander wouldn’t kiss people in the middle of a crowded bar. Normally, he would at least try to wine and dine them first.

Normally, however, Alexander did not have John Laurens leaning down and pressing their lips together. John’s hand had undone his ponytail some time ago, and one hand was currently tangled in the bottom of his hair, cradling Alexander’s head tenderly. John’s other hand was splayed against Alexander’s back, holding him as close to John’s body as he could. 

Alexander could taste the whiskey on John’s tongue as it slipped into his mouth, John taking control of the kiss. Alexander sighed into John’s mouth, perfectly content to remain like this forever.

After what seemed like several glorious hours (or maybe minutes? seconds? eternities?), Alexander was pushed back from John, much to his annoyance. He glared up at the force that had separated them, realizing after a couple minutes that it was Mulligan.

“Alex, it’s time,” Mulligan frowned. Alexander was confused.

“What time is it?” Alexander asked, leaning on John for balance. Unfortunately, John was just as drunk as he was, and leaned into Alexander as though trying to keep his own balance. 

“Showtime!” John yelled, obviously very drunk. “Alex, karaoke!” He suggested. He threw his arm out in the direction of the stage, where a girl--on second glance, that was Lafayette-- was doing a very drunken rendition of “God Save the Queen.” 

“No, it’s time to go,” Mulligan sighed. “I asked Peggy and Eliza where John lived. Peggy told me to piss off, and Eliza told me that he lived in Buckingham Palace. So he’ll come home with us for the night, and you two can nurse each other’s hangovers in the morning.” John clapped, and Alexander grinned. He was obviously applauding the notion, a very good one in Alexander’s opinion.

Mulligan clapped a hand onto each of their shoulders, steering them out of the bar. Outside, a taxi was already waiting for them, and Mulligan put the two drunk men into it like a policeman, making sure they didn’t bump their heads. Alexander was content to cuddle against John for the car ride, ending up practically in his lap by the time they reached Alexander and Mulligan’s apartment building. John certainly didn’t seem to be complaining (at least, not if Alexander’s ass was brushing against what he thought it was).

When the car ride was over, Mulligan hustled Alexander and John into the apartment as fast as he could, throwing a couple wrinkled bills at the taxi driver. Alexander laughed, although he wasn’t quite sure what he was laughing at, as they stumbled through the doorway. Martha meowed at them insistently from the couch, and Mulligan picked her up before John could sit on her. 

John collapsed onto the couch, which was thankfully Martha-free. He pulled at Alexander, who laughed delightedly as he fell forward onto John. Their lips bumped together clumsily, and Alexander could hear Mulligan sigh from somewhere behind them. Fortunately, Mulligan’s footsteps and Martha’s meowing both faded away quickly, leaving Alexander to focus on kissing John (and what a wonderful thing that was to do!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, I'll go with either Angelica, Peggy, or Lafayette's POV, to explain a bit about what went on that night besides Alexander and John getting drunk and making out a lot.   
> Chapter after that will be either Eliza or Mulligan, and then it's back to Alexander and John's POVs.  
> Please tell me which you'd like to see next! It's really up to you guys.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- Lafayette

Lafayette had originally planned on drinking only a little bit, so that they could remain coherent and not make an ass of themselves. They (unlike John and Alexander) knew their limits when it came to alcohol, and they preferred to not get too drunk in public. Being the French Ambassador to the United States, Lafayette had an image to maintain. 

However, they hadn’t known how good of a martini this bar had. Or that they would have their favorite type of vodka, the one that Adrienne had tried to sneak through customs for them. They had also hadn’t known that Angelica would challenge them to a drinking competition, which (after a couple martinis) sounded like a very good idea.

Three shots in, Lafayette realized that a drinking competition with Angelica Schuyler was not a very good idea. Luckily, Eliza stepped in to save them, and the competition dissolved into Truth or Dare with Eliza, Peggy, and Mulligan. 

Unfortunately, everyone except Eliza and Mulligan was extremely drunk. Eliza and Mulligan were, of course, drunk, but not nearly as much as their friends. Peggy couldn’t get a sentence out without bursting into giggles, and Angelica ended up in a spirited debate with Lafayette over the merits of American cheese compared to cheddar. 

Lafayette was fairly sure they were winning the debate (because really, what fool would pick American cheese over cheddar?) when Eliza pulled her sister away from them. Angelica continued to hurl French epithets over her shoulder as Eliza herded Angelica and Peggy into a waiting taxi. Lafayette waved cheerfully, leaning on Eliza for support, as Eliza gave the taxi driver enough cash to take her sisters to Angelica’s apartment. 

“Lafayette,” Eliza sighed, gently pushing her friend back into the bar. “Let’s go find John and Alexander...” her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the two of them. They were standing by the bar, the world around them going unnoticed as they attempted to eat other’s faces. Through the cloud surrounding Lafayette’s brain, they were fairly sure Eliza’s face fell slightly. She grabbed a beer from the bar as they passed John and Alexander, neither of whom even looked up.

“Eliza!” Lafayette cried, trying not to slur their words. “Come on, I have a surprise for you!” They dragged her towards the stage, where some poor girl was mangling “Hello.” Lafayette pushed Eliza into a chair as gently as they could, then rushed to the stage as soon as the girl was finished ‘singing.’ 

“This song is for my personal queen,” Lafayette declared. Eliza had somehow finished her beer already, and was now starting on another. “Give it up for Eliza Schuyler! My favorite Schuyler, but don’t tell her sisters I said that.” Eliza grinned sloppily at them, raising her bottle. It seemed to be empty already, and Lafayette was suddenly glad they were up on stage and not down there to deal with her drunkenness. “Anyways, she’s amazing, and she deserves better than political firecrackers who are oblivious to the world around them.” With that, Lafayette launched into what they were pretty sure was the best version of “God Save the Queen” ever sung by a Frenchman. 

Halfway through the song, Mulligan came to whisper something in Eliza’s ear. She responded, and Mulligan looked confused as he left. He saluted Lafayette on his way out of the bar with John and Alexander.

Lafayette didn’t quite remember finishing the song, but suddenly Eliza was escorting them off the stage with their arms thrown around her shoulders. “Let’s go home,” Lafayette cried. Eliza winced. “Oh, am I talking too loud?” Lafayette asked, attempting to quiet down. “Sometimes I get excited, shoot off at the mouth. I never had a group of friends before,” they confided. Eliza nodded seriously, before walking into the door. “I promise that I’ll make y’all proud,” Lafayette shouted.

“Who are you talking to?” Eliza giggled. She flagged down a taxi within seconds, despite being very obviously drunk, and Lafayette was suddenly glad for her New York upbringing. 

“All the people,” they frowned, pointing around. “Are there not people here?” They slid into the taxi, and Eliza fell in after them. “Home!” Lafayette directed the taxi driver, who merely raised an eyebrow at them. Eliza instantly burst into another fit of giggles, attempting to raise her own eyebrows the way the driver did.

They rattled off Alexander and Mulligan’s address after a moment’s thought, deciding that their apartment was too messy to take Eliza to. They doubted that Eliza was capable of remembering her own address at this point, and besides, she was currently busy asking Siri where to hide a body (which worried Lafayette slightly).

By the time the taxi driver dropped the two friends off, Lafayette had a new opinion of sweet and kind Eliza Schuyler. She had spent most of the car ride trying to figure out where a good place to hide a body in Washington D.C. would be, despite assuring Lafayette that it was all purely hypothetical. They did not feel very reassured.

She stumbled up the steps to Mulligan and Alexander’s apartment, with Lafayette following her and trying not trip over their own feet. By the time Lafayette reached the door, Eliza was tugging on the door handle, apparently not understanding the concept of a lock. After a couple of minutes, Mulligan opened the door with his cat under his arm.

“So cute!” Eliza squealed. “Oh, you’re just so adorable.” She moved past him into the apartment, where Alexander and John were asleep on the couch. They both had extremely tousled hair, and while they were both wearing pants, neither of them were wearing a shirt.

“Is she talking about me or the cat?” Mulligan asked Lafayette, who shrugged and reached out to pet Martha. Martha hissed at them, clawing her way out of Mulligan’s arms immediately. The cat ran lightly to where Eliza was standing over John and Alexander, and sat on her feet. Eliza laughed, swaying a little bit, and bent down to pet Martha. 

“Eliza, I think it’s time to go to bed, sweetie,” Mulligan said quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Lafayette frowned.

“You drank too,” they said thoughtfully. “Why aren’t you drank? How you say... ah, drunk?”

“I’m a lot bigger than you,” Mulligan chortled. “And I regularly drink more than all of you combined.” He had turned around to answer Lafayette, inadvertently letting go of Eliza’s shoulder. Without his large hand to steady her, she fell forward, landing in John’s lap with her face inches away from Alexander’s.

“She drank too much,” Lafayette said helpfully. Mulligan gazed down at Eliza, who was now kissing Alexander’s cheek noisily, smearing her lipstick across it. Mulligan sighed, exasperated. 

“I’m going to put her in my bed,” he informed Lafayette. “You can go lie down in Alexander’s bed. I guess I’ll sleep on the floor tonight.”

“No, Hercules,” Eliza slurred. “I don’t want to steal your bed.” She paused, petting Alexander’s bare chest like it was Martha. “You should sleep with me,” she decided.

“Maybe if I knew you would remember it,” Mulligan told her fondly. Lafayette laughed delightedly, although truthfully they had no idea what they were laughing at. Mulligan scooped up Eliza, carrying her off to his room bridal-style. He returned moments later to settle Lafayette down in Alexander’s room-- after clearing about a hundred books off the bed, of course. The last thing they remembered before drifting off to sleep was Eliza Schuyler sing-yelling “Go the Distance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little disjointed sorry! I'm not super great at writing drunk people. Next chapter-- Mulligan's POV! Man, that will be interesting.  
> Thanks for reading! Check out my tumblr if you have time, I'm "he-wrote-the-other-51"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10- Mulligan

When Hercules Mulligan decided to become his best friend’s security guard, he hadn't realized that it would involve occasionally being the group mom.

Due to his sheer size, and the amount of alcohol he was used to consuming, Mulligan rarely ended up as drunk as his friends. As such, he was typically the one to take care of his drunk friends.

Take tonight, for example. Eliza hadn't been drinking as much during the earlier part of the evening, and so his first time meeting the middle Schuyler sister had been quite pleasant. Most of their friends had gotten drunk and went off their separate ways-- Alexander and John were making out, Peggy was flirting with a cute girl, and Angelica and Lafayette were talking in French. Eliza and Mulligan had ended up talking to each other, and had soon discovered a mutual love for fashion and animals, among other things.

However, Eliza quickly realized how drunk her sisters were, and left Mulligan briefly to put them in a cab, with Lafayette trailing her like a puppy. Before she could return, Lafayette dragged her away towards the karaoke stage, and Mulligan was left alone to watch in amusement as the French ambassador serenaded her with a British song.

He realized quickly that John and Alex, who had been making out at the bar for the last 20 minutes, were far more drunk than was probably safe for the nation. 

When drunk, Alex had a tendency to text or tweet “fight me” to people, along with his current location. This had led to Alex and Mulligan having to change apartments several times, and Mulligan having to physically restrain Alex from launching himself at people. In fact, Alex and Samuel Seabury still had mutual restraining orders out on each other.

“Eliza,” Mulligan hissed in her ear. She turned her head after a couple moments, and Mulligan frowned as he noticed the empty beer bottles next to her. “Eliza, where does John live?” He asked.

“John?” Eliza laughed. She was apparently a happy drunk, which Mulligan found absolutely adorable. “Johnny lives with the Queen of England,” she told Mulligan. “In Buckingham Palace!” She started giggling hysterically, and Mulligan plucked the beer bottle from her fingers carefully.

“I'm going to take John and Alex home,” he told Eliza. “When Lafayette is done, can you maybe take them home with you or bring them to my apartment? They're pretty drunk, I don't want them to be alone tomorrow morning.” ‘Or you,’ he added silently.

Eliza nodded, still giggling, and turned back to watch Lafayette’s performance (because really, that was all it could be called). Mulligan touched her shoulder briefly before leaving her. Neither she nor Lafayette had driven her, so he knew they would be relatively safe until they got home.

Armed with absolutely no knowledge of where John lived, Mulligan approached John and Alex, who were somehow still sucking face. “Hey, guys,” Mulligan called as he approached, despite knowing they couldn't hear him over the music.

He clapped a hand on each of their shoulders, pulling them apart as gently as possible. “Alex, it's time,” he said quietly. 

“What time is it?” Alex blinked owlishly. His ponytail had been undone, his cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were wide. He looked ridiculously happy. 

“Showtime!” John yelled (well, slurred loudly). He gestured at where Lafayette was still performing, nearly hitting Mulligan in the face in the process. “Alex, karaoke!”

“No, it's time to go,” Mulligan sighed, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. He pushed John and Alex out the door as gently as he could, getting a taxi’s attention easily. He made sure they didn't bump their heads before getting in himself. 

Mulligan immediately regretted getting in the same taxi as the two of them. Alex and John spent the entire ride grinding (although it may have been cuddling, it was hard to tell). The cabbie obviously did not appreciate this, sending them some disapproving looks in the rear view mirror. 

As soon as they reached their apartment building, Mulligan practically threw John and Alex out of the cab. He tossed a few bills over his shoulder, hustling his roommate and his new friend into his apartment as fast as he possibly could. 

Mulligan only barely managed to pick Martha up off the couch before John pulled Alex down onto it, where they wasted no time in resuming their activity from the club. Mulligan sighed, covering his precious Martha’s eyes and taking her out of the room. 

 

Half an hour later, Mulligan was interrupted from the pants he was working on by someone tugging on the front door frantically. He stepped past a sleeping John and Alex, who had both miraculously lost their shirts, and pulled the door open with Martha under his arm.

“So cute!” Eliza bubbled. She proceeded to be the most adorable drunk Mulligan had ever met. Eventually, she made a comment about sleeping with Mulligan, who promptly put her to bed in his own bed. By herself, much to both of their disappointment.

Lafayette ended up falling asleep in Alex’s bed. Mulligan left him a glass of water and some aspirin before doing the same for John and Alex and pulling a blanket over them. He debated wiping Eliza’s lipstick off of Alex’s cheek, but ultimately decided it would be funnier to see Alex’s confusion over it in the morning.

Mulligan returned to his own room, planning on grabbing a blanket and pillows to sleep on the floor. Eliza, however, complicated that plan.

When he entered the room, he found Eliza standing on his bed, singing “Go the Distance” into Alex’s hairbrush. Very loudly. 

“Eliza, sweetie?” Mulligan coaxed. “Do you want to come down and go to bed?” 

“I want to go to bed with you,” Eliza told him. Her lipstick was smeared, her hair was tousled, and the strap of her dress was falling off of her shoulder. Mulligan had never seen a more beautiful woman.

“You're drunk,” he told her. “If you remember this conversation in 24 hours, and your sisters don't murder me, I'll take you out.” 

“Or you could take me,” Eliza slurred. Mulligan groaned. This would be a lot easier if she wasn't so damned attractive. 

“You need to sleep now,” he told her. “Why don't you lie down, and I'll sing to you?” Eliza's face lit up, and Mulligan promised himself then and there that when she was sober, he would make her face look like that again.

When he finally got to sleep that night, it was with a drowsy woman in his arms and “Go the Distance” still stuck in his head. 

He was really sick of that song.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- John

John woke up to find his face pressed against a bare chest, with a tiny trail of drool beginning to creep out of his mouth.

He jerked away from the other person as soon as he woke up, leaning back to take in the situation. They were lying on a couch in an unfamiliar room, with a blanket tossed over them. John quickly realized that the other man was Alexander, who for some inexplicable reason, had bright pink lipstick smeared over his cheeks.

“Ello?” Alexander asked sleepily, raising his head. John smiled down at him, dropping a kiss on Alexander’s forehead. “Oh, John,” Alexander yawned. “Did we sleep together?” 

That was a good question. John realized suddenly that he remembered very little from the previous night. “Oh wait, we’re both wearing pants,” Alexander answered his own question. “I guess not.”

“Damn it,” John muttered. Alexander turned to him, his mouth falling open. Shit, did he say that out loud? “I just mean, I'm disappointed I don't remember last night very much.”

“Mm-hmm,” Alexander nodded, before wincing. “If your headache is nearly as bad as mine, I'd like to sincerely apologize for getting you drunk last night. I'm going to go find some aspirin for us.” John nodded, sinking into the couch in relief as he rubbed his eyes.

“I've got it,” a deep voice came from behind them, and John fell off the couch in his surprise.

“Oh, you're a lifesaver,” Alexander said, helping John off the floor. John turned to see Mulligan, who was holding out some aspirin and a glass of water. John grinned, taking the pills from the bigger man. 

Suddenly, it was Alexander's turn to be surprised, much to John’s amusement. Eliza Schuyler stepped out from behind Mulligan, wearing a very large pair of sweatpants and a huge t-shirt that read “I heard your mother say ‘come again.’”

“Hi,” she waved, smiling widely. Her hair was tousled, and her makeup from last night was smeared across her face. John blinked. Was that the same shade of lipstick that was covering Alexander’s face?

“When did your lipstick get smeared across Alexander’s cheeks?” John queried. Alexander frowned, reaching up to touch his cheek. 

“She was very drunk last night,” Mulligan explained. “She decided to make out with Alexander’s face while he was unconscious.”

“Sorry about that,” Eliza said sweetly, running a hand through her hair. “According to my sisters, I'm a very affectionate drunk.”

“You're telling me,” Mulligan muttered. John raised an eyebrow. She was dressed in Mulligan's clothes, and now with that implication?

“We didn't sleep together,” Eliza forestalled John’s questions. “Lafayette is in Alexander's bed, and you two were occupying the couch. Hercules tried to sleep on the floor, but um...” She trailed off, her cheeks flushing pink. Mulligan glared at John from behind her back, daring him to say something.

“Anyone know if Peggy and Angelica made it home?” Eliza asked awkwardly. They all shook their heads, glancing around.

“I'll call them,” Alexander offered. “Angelica owes me money now,” he grinned. 

“Do I want to know?” Eliza asked curiously, slipping her small hand into Mulligan’s. Mulligan grinned down at her, and John rolled his eyes at the two of them.

“No, you don't,” Alexander answered. Eliza shrugged, accepting the answer easily. “Who wants breakfast?” Alexander offered, clapping his hands together. 

“I'm not letting you cook,” Mulligan objected instantly. “John, do you happen to know how to cook?” He asked. John rolled his eyes and stepped into the kitchen, with Alexander following immediately. 

“The only thing I know how to make is pancakes,” John confided. “Also, you should put on a shirt, because this is really distracting.”

“Really?” Alexander grinned, hopping up onto the counter to grab a bag of flour. John leaned over his shoulder to grab it for him. His chest brushed against Alexander’s back, and the smaller man shivered. John grinned, running his hands through Alexander’s hair. 

Alexander swiveled around on the counter, wrapping his legs around John’s waist and pulling him closer. Their lips met, and John pushed away the flour in favor of kissing Alexander.

“Mom amis, really?” Lafayette asked from behind them. John froze, pulling back immediately. Alexander groaned, dropping his head onto John’s shoulder. “Mulligan said you were making breakfast, not making babies.” 

Alexander flipped Lafayette off, sliding off the counter. “You make breakfast,” Alexander grumbled. “You'd make it better than us anyways. I'm going to go make out with my boyfriend.” 

John's mouth fell open as Alexander grabbed his hand and tugged him towards his bedroom. 

They sank down onto Alexander’s bed in a tangle of bodies, too busy trying to get each other's pants off to care about how many papers they were lying on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably get back to having a plot at some point, sorry!  
> Little filler chapter for the morning after. Things will start heating up at some point soon though, and the plot will become more evident.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, the chapter amount is no longer 12/? ! I finally got a plan in place, and the story will wrap up in 10 more chapters. I hope to have it finished by the end of the week. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 12- Alexander

Alexander had forgotten how good of a cook Lafayette was. He lifted his head to sniff the air, ignoring John’s incredulous look. A second later, John's look shifted to one of amazement.

“Who's making bacon?” John asked, propping himself up with one arm and staring down at Alexander. Alexander leaned up to kiss his boyfriend, marveling at the fact that he could now use that title.

“Lafayette,” Alexander responded between lazy kisses. For him, spending time with a significant other after sex was always the best part. It was quiet, loving, and affectionate. And sometimes, there was great food. 

“As much as I love kissing you, can we go get food?” John asked, sitting up. Alexander grinned and nodded, hunting around his closet for a clean shirt.

“Do you want to borrow clothes?” Alexander offered, his heart racing at the thought of seeing John in his clothes. “Your shirt is probably in the living room somewhere, and I have no clue where your pants ended up.” John nodded, and Alexander tossed him the first clean clothes he found- a pair of Kings’ College sweatpants (which were probably Mulligan’s, they were way too big for Alexander) and an old debate team t-shirt. Alexander yanked on jeans and a plain black t-shirt, pulling his hair up into a sloppy ponytail. 

“Come on, I'm hungry,” John complained. Alexander rolled his eyes, standing on his tiptoes to kiss John (who was suddenly not as interested in food). 

Eventually, they managed to find their way to the kitchen, hand in hand and sneaking kisses after every other step. Lafayette was already sitting at the tiny kitchen table, eating omelettes and bacon across from Eliza and Mulligan. Eliza had dressed in what Alexander recognized as Mulligan’s latest fashion project, and wiped the makeup off her face. She was now perched on Mulligan’s lap, sipping coffee daintily while they discussed the presidential race. 

As soon as he caught sight of the bacon, John let go of Alexander’s hand to make a beeline for the food. Alexander laughed at his boyfriend’s antics, grabbing a plate for himself and pulling out the chair next to Lafayette.

“Good morning, mi petit,” Lafayette greeted him, wiping crumbs off of their chin. “I trust you and John slept together well?” They immediately frowned, as though trying to phrase it better. Alexander glared at his friend, knowing that Lafayette knew how to speak English better than that.

“We slept fine,” John grinned, wrapping an arm around Alexander and setting a full plate in front of his boyfriend. Alexander smiled up at John and snuck in a quick kiss as thanks.

“Not as well as Laf slept,” Mulligan put in with a smirk. “I got some very nice pictures of him snuggled up to Martha. Drooling onto her, in fact.” Eliza burst into laughter, pulling out Mulligan’s phone to show them. It was pretty adorable, Alexander mused. In the picture, Lafayette was shirtless, with Martha laying in his arms. His cheek was resting on her side, and there was in fact drool matting her fur. 

Alexander couldn’t help but notice that not only did Eliza know Mulligan’s phone passcode, but she was still in his lap, looking quite comfortable. She had said they didn’t sleep together, and Mulligan would probably be a lot more smug if they had, but there was definitely something going on. In fact, Mulligan hadn’t seemed this excited about a girl since their sophomore year of college.

“Something on your mind?” Mulligan asked Alexander, who was jolted out of his thoughts. He smiled as innocently as he could, shaking his head. He refocused his energy on scarfing down his breakfast, knowing he had to get to work in an hour.

“Well, lady and gentlemen,” Alexander stood up with a dramatic flourish. He accidentally knocked his plate onto the floor as he did so, and narrowly missed tripping over Martha, who darted out of the way just in time. “I,” he waited for the laughter at his expense to die down. “I have a debt plan to debate! John, would you like a ride to work?”

“That would be great, except I should probably dress a little more formally,” John said regretfully. 

“I have clothes in Mulligan’s office,” Lafayette offered. “You look to be about my size, and while we certainly don’t share the same style, I’m sure there’s something... simple enough for you.”

“Why does a security guard have an office?” John questioned.

“I’m also an aspiring fashion designer,” Mulligan answered proudly. Alexander was fairly sure that if he puffed out his chest any further, Eliza would fall off of his lap. “Alex sleeps in his actual office half the time, and when he does sleep at home, he stays up most of the night using his bedroom as an office.”

“Did you notice anything about his room besides the bed?” Lafayette snarked.

“Anyways,” Mulligan cleared his throat. “I changed the third bedroom into a very large walk-in closet, which doubles as a workspace for me. I use Lafayette as a model frequently (“because really, who wouldn’t use this body as a model?”) so I have plenty of clothes in their size, and you do look close to their size. Want to check it out?”

John nodded, and he pecked Alexander’s cheek before they both left to dress for work.

 

Alexander was only halfway through getting dressed when his door swung open, admitting John. John was still dressed in Alexander’s clothes, but was now clutching plain black clothes to his chest, apparently having found something close to his barista’s uniform.

“Hi,” Alexander grinned, dropping the shirt he had been about to put on. John crossed the room quickly to kiss him, pushing Alexander against the wall. Alexander sighed into the kiss, and John took the opportunity to deepen it, slipping his hands into the waistband of Alexander’s pants and his tongue into Alexander’s mouth.

“As much as I’d love to continue this, we don’t have time,” Alexander told the other man, pushing John away gently. John pouted, and Alexander laughed at how adorable that face was before leaning up to kiss him quickly. “Get dressed quickly, and we can make out in the car,” Alexander offered. 

For some reason, that seemed to hurry John along.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13- John

John was sure he’d never smiled wider as his boyfriend dropped him off for work. Sure, his boyfriend worked in the White House and he worked in the cafe adjacent to the White House. But he was pretty sure Alexander was successful enough for the both of them.

“The sex must’ve been great,” Peggy called cheerfully as soon as John stepped into Kitty’s. She ignored the looks a couple Republicans sent her, waving happily at John. Eliza’s shift didn’t start for another hour, so it was just the two of them for now. 

John rolled his eyes, but his smile didn’t diminish in the slightest as he tied on his apron. “The sex was amazing,” he confided with a wink. Peggy’s smile froze for a second before the youngest Schuyler sister broke into laughter.

“I was joking, but apparently you aren’t,” she chuckled. “Congrats, babe! So where did the lucky man disappear to?”

“Work,” John shrugged. “The cabinet is debating his debt plan today.”

“That’s amazing!” Peggy cheered. “He’s not still hungover, right? I’m pretty sure that’s not the best way to show up for work at the Capitol of the United States.” John shook his head, pouring a senator from California a shot of espresso. “Do you know when they’ll vote on the plan?” Peggy asked. “You should be there to support him! Eliza and I can cover your shift if we need to.”

“If the debate goes well, they’ll vote tomorrow,” John replied. Peggy nodded, leaving briefly to help a customer.

John leaned against the counter, thinking about his luck. This time yesterday morning, he had been praying to a God he didn’t believe in that his father wouldn’t come in. Today, he was thanking the same God that his father had come in, because he had brought with him Alexander Hamilton. Alexander was the best addition to John’s life since he had discovered the Schuyler sisters. The man was adorable, smart, funny, and a hell of a lay.

“Earth to idiot,” Peggy snapped her fingers in front of John’s face. “We have customers, Mr. Romantic.” John shook himself out of his reverie, turning to face the customers.

John and Peggy spent the next hour filling orders, pouring coffee, serving food, and talking about Alexander every chance they got. By the time Eliza clocked in, John had already talked Peggy’s ear off, and she practically rushed into her sister’s arms.

“Eliza, my main, my love,” Peggy cried. “My sweet sister. Have I mentioned you’re my favorite person?”

“And why is that?” Eliza smiled bemusedly, dropping a kiss on her younger sister’s forehead.

“No boy drama!” Peggy exclaimed. “You haven’t had a serious crush in ages.” John shared an amused look with Eliza, remembering her seat at breakfast that morning.

“Things happened after you and Angelica left the bar last night,” John informed Peggy. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Everyone except the two of you ended up going back to Mulligan and Alexander’s apartment. Now, there weren’t very many beds available, so Lafayette ended up in Alexander’s bed, Alexander and I slept on the couch, and your dear “boy-drama-free” sister spent the night in Hercules Mulligan’s arms.”

“What?” Peggy gasped. “Hercules... that tall handsome one you were talking to?” Eliza nodded shyly. Peggy pantomimed fainting, and John rolled his eyes.

“We didn’t sleep together or anything,” Eliza added. Peggy mouthed ‘yet’ to John behind Eliza’s back. “We just cuddled. You know how affectionate I get when I’m drunk!”

“And then they had breakfast together, and they were alone in that apartment for the last hour and a half,” John added. Eliza frowned at him, and Peggy covered her ears. 

“I don’t want to hear about my sister’s exploits,” Peggy pouted. “Am I the only single person here?” John shrugged, turning away briefly to take someone’s order.

“He asked me out after breakfast,” Eliza told Peggy. John grinned, glad that sweet Eliza had found someone who would love her and treat her right (and beat up anyone who didn’t). “We were looking through his closet for something for me to wear, and then he asked me to model for him.” (“Of course he did, you have the Schuyler genes,” Peggy cooed). “I’m adopted,” Eliza reminded her younger sister. “But so then he changed his mind about me modeling for him, and obviously I was a little hurt so I asked why. And he told me it was because he would rather have me as his date to Fashion Week!” 

John spun around to sweep Eliza up into a hug. “That’s amazing!” Peggy said delightedly. “He’s so sweet, and it sounds like he really likes you.”

“So, do you ever serve customers?” A voice called from the counter. The three friends turned around, and John let go of Eliza quickly. They were greeted by the welcome sight of the third Schuyler sister. Angelica had probably drank more than any of them last night, yet somehow looked completely unaffected. A young man who had the nervous look of an intern was accompanying her, and John’s heart went out for him. Being told you had to spend the day with the Schuyler sister known as “the shark” was probably not the best start to your day.

“Would you like something to drink?” John offered the young man. He glanced to Angelica as if for guidance, but she was busy hugging the life out of her sisters.

“An espresso would be nice,” the intern answered. “I think I’ll need a lot of energy to keep up with Ms. Schuyler. I’m John Church, by the way. Call me Jack.”

“Damn right, you will,” John muttered. “She isn’t really bad, just absolutely terrifying until you get to know her. Or if you hurt her sisters,” John added. “I’m John Laurens. So how’d you get lucky enough to intern with the White House Press Secretary?”

John moved over to the espresso machine, his hands following the routine without much thought. Jack followed, continuing the conversation. “I’m majoring in Communications over at King’s College, and I won the internship through an essay I wrote. Prof said it was the best he’d seen since Hamilton, whatever that means.” Jack grinned, obviously proud of his work. John nearly dropped the espresso he was holding out to Jack.

“That’s my boyfriend,” John said proudly. “Alexander Hamilton. He’s actually debating his debt plan right now.”

“That’s amazing!” Jack exclaimed, just as Angelica appeared by his side. “Uh, Ms. Schuyler, would you like some coffee?” He offered. 

“Call me Angelica,” she rolled her eyes. “And no, Eliza knows what I like. Talking about Hamilton already?”

“Well, yes, I-” Jack stammered. “Wait, already?”

“I’m sure Alex’s boyfriend has told you all about his debate,” Angelica said. “It finished a couple minutes ago, so we’re off to stop Alex from ruining his chances at having the plan pass tomorrow.”

“It’s over?” John asked, leaning forward. “How’d it go?”

“The actual debate went well,” Angelica sighed. “He kept his cool for once, which was pretty surprising considering he went up against Jefferson.” (‘That’s my boyfriend,’ John mouthed to Peggy, who shot him a thumbs-up). “After the debate however...” her voice trailed off, and a flicker of amusement twisted her lips up. “I believe his exact words to Jefferson were ‘turn around, bend over, I’ll show you where my shoe fits.’” 

“That’s my boyfriend!” John repeated, out loud this time. Peggy and Jack cracked up, while Angelica accepted her latte from Eliza with another eyeroll. 

“If I knew I would be stuck saving people like Alex, I wouldn’t have accepted the job,” Angelica frowned. “He does make my job interesting though, that’s for sure. Anyways Jack, we’re off. Peggy, swing by my apartment later, will you? You left last night’s clothes and your favorite lipstick there, as well as your purse.” She hugged her sisters briefly before marching out the door like a general in high heels, with her newest intern struggling to keep up.

 

A couple hours later, John was sitting in the back on his break when his phone lit up.

from littlelion: Hi, John! Angelica said she told you how well the debate went.   
from littlelion: I was thinking we should celebrate tonight! Mulligan has a date with Eliza.  
from littlelion: I’ll cook dinner for us?   
to littlelion: sounds great! when should i come over?  
from littlelion: 6?  
to littlelion: awesome!  
from littlelion: Also, Angelica’s intern totally has the hots for her, right?  
to littlelion: ya i think so  
to littlelion: y?  
from littlelion: We should set them up!  
from littlelion: Angelica’s yelling at me, I have to go!  
from littlelion: See you tonight.   
to littlelion: c u <3  
from littlelion: How do I send a heart?  
from littlelion: yo this is Angelica fuck off  
from littlelion: i’m trying to yell at Alex and he’s smiling at his phone wtf man  
from littlelion: have fun on your date tonight  
from littlelion: now piss off or i’ll end you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I renamed John Church to the nickname Jack so it doesn't get too confusing, but John Church is who Angelica really married (because she set up Ham with Eliza... dummy)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14- Alexander

Alexander had never been the type of man to fuss over clothes. He had simply never cared enough, much to Mulligan’s disgust. Today, however, he had someone he was trying to impress.

“You’ve already slept with him,” Mulligan pointed out from where he was lounging on Alexander’s bed, which was for once free of papers. “He’s already seen the deplorable state you keep your room in, and probably smelled your morning breath. You don’t need to worry about your clothes quite this much.” 

This advice was usually the opposite of what Mulligan told Alexander before a date. Normally, it was all “could you find a shirt that isn’t wrinkled? Or covered in cat hair?” Or “if you want to get her out of her pants, you might want to try wearing something other than jeans or sweatpants yourself.” Normally, however, Alexander did not reject all of Mulligan’s options for him in favor of Alexander’s own ridiculous options.

“Maybe a kilt?” Alexander questioned, holding the article of clothing in question up against his lower body. Mulligan didn’t even bother saying anything, merely sending him a look. “Angelica got it for me,” Alexander reminded his friend.

“Yeah, for April Fools’ Day,” Mulligan scoffed. “I’ve given you ten different options that are guaranteed to get you guys to sleep together again. If you don’t hurry up and get dressed, you’re going to run out of time to make him dinner. Unless you’re planning on just presenting yourself as dinner, in which case I will ask you to not do terrible things in our kitchen.”

“Do you really think I’d do that?” Alexander questioned, mock-hurt. “Don’t answer that,” he added hurriedly. 

“I have to go,” Mulligan sighed as he stood up and stretched, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling. “Don’t want to keep Eliza waiting, and unlike you, I actually know how to dress myself.” Alexander stuck his tongue out at his friend, deciding to merely pull on one of the outfits that Mulligan had assembled for him.

“Good luck!” Alexander shouted at his roommate’s back. Mulligan shot him a grin and gave Martha a kiss before leaving.

Left on his own, Alexander hurried into the kitchen to start cooking. On Peggy Schuyler’s recommendation, he’d decided to make steak, mashed potatoes, and Caesar salad. Peggy had informed him that they were John’s favorite foods, besides mac-and-cheese. And Alexander refused to make anything that Jefferson loved.

Before he knew it, John was knocking on his door. Alexander rushed to the door as soon as he heard the first knock, straightening his shirt out anxiously. He pulled the door open, grinning as soon as he saw John’s adorable freckles. His boyfriend was dressed nicely, in plain black pants that showcased his ass and a fitted black blazer. Everyone looked hotter in blazers, at least in Alexander’s opinion. 

John smiled as he held out a bouquet of roses to Alexander, who was shocked. No one had ever brought him flowers before. He took them gratefully, kissing John’s cheek and ushering him into the apartment.

John gasped, spinning around to kiss Alexander passionately as soon as he caught sight of the inside of the apartment. With Mulligan’s help, Alexander had pushed the couch into Mulligan’s room for the night, and dragged the kitchen table into the living room. He had then scattered candles around the room, draped a white tablecloth over the table, and set music to play softly. 

Alexander had never really wooed someone before. He had never cared about someone enough to put in the effort. John, however, was special, and he deserved everything Alexander was capable of giving him.

Alexander pulled out a chair for John, pouring him a glass of red wine. While last night had been fun, and had led to even more fun things, Alexander had decided that he wanted something with a lower alcohol content tonight. Being drunk off their asses wasn’t exactly romantic.

“Alex, this looks wonderful,” John said, looking around in awe. Due to Alexander’s skin tone, it was hard for him to blush noticeably, but he was fairly sure his cheeks were extremely pink right now. John took his hand with a smile, and they proceeded to eat. It was a little bit tricky, as neither of them wanted to let go of the other’s hand to eat, but they managed to make do. 

“Did you do all of this yourself?” John asked. Alexander smiled bashfully.

“I had to get Mulligan’s help to move the couch,” he confessed. “I even cleaned my room.” John raised his eyebrows, obviously suitably impressed.

“How long did that take?” John teased. “I saw the state it was in earlier...” Alexander rolled his eyes. “So, I heard your debate went well,” John offered, changing the subject. “Are they going to vote on it tomorrow?”

“Yes!” Alexander answered proudly. “I can’t wait. Jefferson is trying to sabotage it, but I think it has a good chance. I’m really nervous about it, though. I mean, Congress only votes on your first proposal for the first time once.”

“I would think so,” John laughed. “I’m sure it will pass though. We read through it in work the other day, it’s truly ingenious.”

“You think so?” Alexander asked. “I mean, I spent a long time writing it, so I’d hope so. But it’s not even close to being as well-written as some of my other stuff.”

“That’s true,” John conceded. “I mean, your Federalist papers were brilliant.”

“You read them?” Alexander cried. “What did you think? Wait, you just said they were brilliant, never mind.” John chuckled. “I didn’t think that many people read them!”

“My father hadn’t disowned me when they came out,” John said, leaning back as he finished his food. “I remember when they were first published, it was just after Christmas, and I was at my parent’s house in South Carolina. He was furious, because he didn’t want them to catch on and so many people had already read them. That was one of our first major fights, because I thought they were so well-written and made so many good points. He actually burned them, the drama queen.” John rolled his eyes.

“You fought with your father over my papers?” Alexander was inexplicably proud of himself, before realizing that he may have caused the estrangement of John and his father. “Wait, did he disown you because of that?”

“No,” John laughed. “He disowned me because I came out at one of his political galas.”

“Oh,” Alexander frowned. “I’m sorry.” His thumb rubbed a gentle circle over John’s palm, and John squeezed his hand.

“It would have happened sooner or later,” John shrugged. “We very rarely saw eye to eye. I was only there that Christmas for my mother.”

Alexander nodded, squeezing John’s hand back. “More wine?” He offered. “Dessert should also be ready, if you’d like.”

“Dessert sounds great,” John smiled. “What is it?” Alexander let go of his hand regretfully to clear the dishes. 

“Brownies,” Alexander informed him. John followed him into the kitchen, leaning against the wall as Alexander set the dishes in the sink. He bent over to open the oven, practically feeling John’s eyes on his ass. 

Unfortunately, it appeared that the brownies had been ready for some time. They were slightly blackened, and the instant Alexander opened the oven door, smoke curled out. Alexander cursed, turning the oven off immediately and setting the ruined brownies on top of the stove. He crossed the room to crack the window open before turning around to face John.

“I’m so sorry,” Alexander apologized. “I must have forgotten to set a timer.”

“It’s okay,” John reassured him, pushing himself off of the wall and taking Alexander into his arms. “There’s something else I’d rather have for dessert, anyways.” John bent down to capture Alexander’s lips with his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! I truly enjoy reading all your comments.  
> Next time- We find out what happened with Eliza and Mulligan's date, and the debt plan is voted on!!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please ignore my failing knowledge of American politics! No clue where the Secretary of Treasury's office would be, so I put it in the White House.

Chapter 15- John

When John woke up, he was alone in Alexander’s bed. He stretched, the blanket falling off of his bare chest, and got out of bed. “Alexander?” He called. No response. John pulled on a pair of Alexander’s jeans and the plain white shirt he’d worn under his blazer last night before heading into the kitchen. 

He appeared to be alone in the apartment. He found a stack of pancakes and some bacon on the table, next to a note. It read ‘Hi, John! Sorry I left without saying goodbye. You were so cute when you were sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you. I did make you breakfast, but depending on when you wake up you may need to reheat it.’ John took a bite of bacon. It was cold, much to his disappointment. He continued reading. ‘I had to go to the Capitol for the vote, I wanted to get there early for some last-minute lobbying. Mulligan might come home, but he wasn’t there when I left. If he does come home, don’t let him steal any of your food! I left more in the fridge for him. I’d love to see you tonight, if you’re free!’ At the bottom of the note, Alexander had drawn a heart and a smiley face. John laughed. Trust Alexander to write a mini-letter to him.

After finishing his breakfast (still no sign of Mulligan-- John didn’t even want to think about what he and Eliza might be up to), John headed back to his own apartment. He got dressed for the day quickly. Alexander had planned a wonderful evening for the two of them last night, and now he had plans for Alexander.

But first, he had a couple of stops to make. First, John visited the same florist he’d gone to last night. Alexander had loved the roses, but today, he had something much more important to do with flowers. 

After making the necessary plans with the florist, John headed to Kitty’s Kitchen. He wasn’t scheduled to work today, but there were a couple things he needed there. For one thing, he needed his coffee in order to stay awake. He and Alexander hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Next, he needed to pick something up from Peggy.

“Hi, John!” She called as soon as he stepped inside. Unsurprisingly, Eliza wasn’t there. “How did the date go?”

“It was amazing,” John gushed. “Alexander’s such an amazing cook, although he did end up burning dessert. But he had this whole set up! There were candles, and romantic music, and just the whole shebang! He put a ton of work into it. And it was just the two of us the whole time, Eliza and Mulligan never came back to his apartment.”

“That’s great,” Peggy grinned. “I got what you asked for.” She leaned down to pick up a large cardboard box, and slid it across the counter. “I think he’s going to love this! God, why can’t I get a boyfriend like you?”

“Because you’re a lesbian,” Eliza’s voice came from behind them. John spun around, taking in the sight of the middle Schuyler sister. She looked extremely happy-- in fact, she was positively glowing. She was dressed simply, and her makeup was the most minimal that John had ever seen on her. But somehow, she still looked like a model.

“True,” Peggy shrugged. “But I also don’t have a girlfriend. Anyways, how was your date? I’ve just heard all about Alexander’s, and apparently you and Mulligan spent the night at your apartment.”

“We did,” Eliza grinned. “We went out to a fancy restaurant, and he refused to let me pay for any of it. Then we went to Rockefeller Center to iceskate, which is super over-done, but it was so sweet and romantic! He gave me this bracelet.” She held up her wrist to display a simple silver bangle. ‘You are my sunshine’ was stamped on it, and it fit her wrist beautifully. 

“That’s really pretty,” John congratulated her. “I’m glad you had a good time! And you got back just in time, now you can help me with my project.”

“What project?” Eliza raised an eyebrow. “Ooh, is it the thing for Alex that you told us about?” John nodded, giddy with excitement. Eliza smiled. “I’d love to help!” She exclaimed. “Although after I help set it up, I might go visit Mulligan at work,” she told him apologetically. “We made plans for lunch today.” 

“Okay,” John shrugged. “I just want to make today super special for Alexander.” Peggy and Eliza shared a knowing look, and he frowned at them. “He made last night amazing, and that was just a simple date! Today is the first time Congress is voting on something he’s written, and he’s really excited about.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Peggy waved him off. “Go get your man!” John grabbed the box from the counter, thanking Peggy profusely as he left the shop with Eliza.

“We just have two more stops,” John informed Eliza as he pulled out of the parking lot. “We have to visit the White House gift shop, and also a Barnes and Noble.” Eliza nodded, although it didn’t quite look like she understood. 

 

Finally, they reached the Capitol. Being residents of Washington D.C., neither paused to gawp, instead pressing onwards to the steps. Politicians were making their way up the steps towards the doors that led to one of the most important rooms in the nation, preparing to vote on the plan that could save their nation from debt.

Angelica and Mulligan met them at the top of the steps, accompanied by Jack the intern. Both Angelica and Mulligan moved to hug Eliza at once, bumping into each other. Angelica sent Mulligan a death glare that was possibly capable of killing him, and he backed down grudgingly. 

“Does he know?” John asked. The other two shook their heads, and he grinned. Jack looked very confused by the whole process. “Mulligan, you know what to do. Angelica, can you get me into his office?” Angelica nodded, gesturing for him to follow her. She walked down the steps, a path clearing for her immediately. Parking had been hard enough to find for the Capitol, so John had decided to merely walk to the White House. 

He had not counted on how quickly Angelica Schuyler could walk in a tight skirt and high heels, and he and Jack spent most of the walk struggling to keep up with her. Once they reached the White House, she took him around to a side entrance, where she flashed a badge that immediately granted them entrance. They hurried up some steps to the Oval Office, where Angelica left John and Jack waiting outside so that she could peek in and check on the President.

She returned very quickly, grimacing. “What’s wrong?” John asked, confused. 

“The President was...busy,” Angelica bit out. “With the French Ambassador.” John screwed up his face, and Jack looked positively horrified. Ambassador Lafayette’s relationship with President Washington was really something he hadn’t needed to think about that much. “Alex’s office is just down there,” she pointed down the hallway. “Do you need help setting this up?”

“No, but I forgot that the florist probably won’t be allowed in,” John answered. “What should I do about that? The flowers should arrive soon.”

“You can’t just go pick them up yourself?” Angelica questioned.

“It’s a bit of an elaborate set-up with the flowers,” John explained. “It requires multiple people to bring them in.” 

“Romantics,” Angelica muttered. “Jack, go to the side entrance we just came through and show the florists where to go, will you?” Jack nodded, rushing off. John watched him go, trying not to laugh.

“Angelica, are you blind?” He queried. Angelica raised an eyebrow at him. “That man is head-over-heels for you,” he told her. “You could be at least a little receptive.”

“He is?” Angelica frowned. “I guess that would make sense, he’s made a point of bringing me coffee every morning, and he told me I looked pretty today... I thought he was just sucking up like all the other interns. Jack is cute, although he’s several years younger than me. My father would kill me if I tried dating him.” She walked away, apparently lost in thought. Jack smiled. It looked as though Peggy might soon be the only Schuyler sister that was single.

Oh, well. John had work to do. He walked down the hall towards Alexander’s office, where he began setting up his surprise. He hoped Alexander would like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time- the surprise for Alex!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16- Alexander

Throughout the entire session of Congress, Alexander had been shaking with excitement. Not even Jefferson’s sneer of disgust had managed to shake him out of his good mood.

Finally, after all other matters of business had been attended to, it came time to vote on Alexander’s proposal. And despite pushback (most notably from Jefferson and Madison), the vote passed, 385-50. Alexander nearly collapsed from relief when they announced the verdict. He stood in front of the House of Representatives, trying to think of what to say to them, only to find out that he wasn’t actually supposed to give an acceptance speech.

“This isn’t the Grammys,” Jefferson scowled as he pushed past Alexander on his way out the door. Alexander practically bounced out of Congress, nearly falling down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he bumped into Mulligan. 

“The vote passed!” Alexander cheered, only to be met with a stony face. “What’s wrong?” He frowned, staring at his friend.

“You need to come with me,” Mulligan told him solemnly. “There’s something you have to see.” Alexander’s face fell instantly. What could possibly have happened to put his roommate in such a bad mood? Did someone die?

“Is John okay?” Alexander questioned, falling into step beside Mulligan. Mulligan merely regarded him with the best poker face he’d ever seen. “Eliza? Angelica? Peggy?” He asked, his worry growing with every step they took. He quickly realized that they were headed towards the White House, and he started trying to think of people they know there that could be in trouble. “Is it Laf? President Washington? Angelica? Wait, I already asked that.” By now, they were inside the White House, making their way up a familiar staircase. “Are we going to my office?” Alexander asked. This finally elicited a response from Mulligan, who nodded gravely. At this, Alexander bounded up the stairs, reaching his office door quickly.

“Before you go in,” Mulligan said from beside him. “I should prepare you for what you’re about to see...” Alexander waved his concerns off, yanking his door open.

“Surprise!” A collection of voices shouted immediately. Familiar hands grabbed his own, yanking him inside. John grinned at him. “We wanted to surprise you, and congratulate you for having your first bill pass,” his boyfriend said excitedly. “So we got Mulligan to psych you out, and then we prepared all this for you.” Alexander looked around in awe. 

Rose petals were strewn on the floor, and beautiful arrangements of flowers decorated nearly all the available spaces. A table had been dragged into the center of the office, and a large cake was in the center of it. It read ‘Congratulations, Alexander!’ In a gorgeous cursive. Alexander vaguely remembered seeing that handwriting on his coffee cup, and realized that it must have been Peggy or Eliza who baked the cake.

“When John says we, he means I,” Peggy informed him. “The only thing he let me do is the cake, and that’s because he can’t bake.” John looked down bashfully, and Alexander stretched up on his tiptoes to kiss his boyfriend passionately. After a moment, someone cleared their throat loudly, and they broke apart. Angelica was glaring at them sternly, but after a couple seconds her face broke out into a smile.

“Congrats, Alex,” she told him. “I’m proud of you. I’m also banning you from the White House for two weeks, because I’m scared of what you might try to do while high off of this success.”

“And because she’s going on vacation for two weeks,” Jack put in. Alexander looked at Angelica in surprise. To his knowledge, she hadn’t taken a vacation in all of the time she had worked for President Washington.

“Come look at your presents!” John tugged Alexander over to his desk. Draped over the back of his office chair was a t-shirt that read “I met President Washington!” Alexander recognized it as one of the standard t-shirts sold in the White House gift shop. What he didn’t recognize, however, was the lettering underneath it that said “and he passed my bill!” Alexander laughed, holding it up against his chest experimentally. It looked as though it would fit perfectly.

“I’m surprised you know my shirt size,” Alexander teased John. “Most of the time, you’re too busy trying to get my shirt off to even read what it says.” 

“Just look at the other present,” John grinned. His excitement was contagious, and Alexander picked up the wrapped package on his desk. He tore off the wrapping paper carelessly, casting it to the side. John had given him a beautiful leather notebook. Next to it was an elaborately designed pen. John leaned over Alexander’s shoulder to flip open the front cover of the notebook. The inscription read ‘for your next bill.’ Alexander smiled, throwing his arms around John’s neck in thanks.

“Wait,” Alexander pulled back. “How did you know the bill would pass? What if it didn’t go through?” 

“It’s your bill, my little lion,” John told him affectionately. “Of course it would pass.” Alexander kissed him again, this time not caring about the people around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time- we'll jump ahead two years, to a political gala with all our favorites as attendees.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17- John

John adjusted his tie in the mirror, looking himself over critically. While he and Alexander had attended numerous political galas together, this one was a little more important than the rest (although Alexander didn’t know it yet).

“You look great,” Alexander complimented him, appearing in the doorway of their bedroom. He had moved into John’s apartment last year, giving up his bedroom for Eliza to move in with Mulligan. “Are you ready to go?”

John nodded. “I’ll meet you out there,” he promised. “Just need to try to fix my hair.” Alexander laughed, eyeing John’s mess of curls. Alexander left him in the bedroom, heading out to wait in the living room. John picked up the small black box from where he’d hidden it in his bathroom drawer, tucking it into the inside pocket of his blazer. He knew Alexander liked this blazer on him. It was the same one he’d worn on their first date.

John walked out to meet his boyfriend, pulling him in for a quick hug. He must have held him a little too tightly, and Alexander pulled back to look at him quizzically. “Everything okay?” He asked. John nodded, smiling widely. Everything was perfect.

They spent most of the car ride to the White House cuddling, regretfully pulling away as the car pulled into the parking garage. John straightened his boyfriend’s tie for him, ignoring Alexander’s disgruntled face at no longer being able to hug him. “What is this gala for again?” Alexander asked. John laughed.

“President Washington is showing his support of the Supreme Court’s latest decision,” John reminded his boyfriend. “I’d think you’d remember this one, considering what they decided?”

“Oh,” Alexander frowned. “I thought that one was next month?” John shook his head. John knew very well that this gala was tonight. He and Alexander had waited anxiously to hear this decision for months, and as soon as it had been announced, John had planned to do something special tonight.

The Supreme Court had recently ruled in favor of gay marriage. Alexander and John had attended as many rallies and protests as they could, doing their best to urge the decision on. When they finally announced it, John and Alexander had been ecstatic, and the next chance he got, John had rushed around to jewelry stores in search of the perfect ring.

Now, the night had come. They were walking in the front doors of the White House hand in hand, doing their best to ignore the cameras flashing. They’d been dating for over two years now, and the press still pulled the relationship in front of the nation’s eyes whenever they got a chance.

“Welcome,” Lafayette beamed, greeting them inside the East Room. The Ambassador to France had recently extended their stay in the United States, shortly after making their relationship with the President public. Lafayette kissed Alexander on both cheeks, before winking at John. John had enlisted their help with tonight, and Lafayette was nearly as excited as John to see it all go down. “George is taking care of something, he’ll be out shortly.” John nodded, pulling Alexander towards where Angelica Schuyler was waving at them.

“How are you two?” Angelica exclaimed. “It’s been too long.” Alexander nodded, giving her a hug. She had ended up dating Jack Church, her former intern. John caught sight of Jack out of the corner of his eye. The other man was making his way towards his girlfriend, two glasses of champagne in his hand.

“You’re always busy,” Alexander pointed out. Angelica had recently accepted a job as the Head of Communications under President Washington, and had promptly hired Eliza to take over her old job. As such, the only people who spent much time with Angelica these days were Jack and Eliza, and sometimes Peggy.

“True,” Angelica shrugged elegantly, accepting a glass of champagne from her boyfriend. Jack slipped an arm around her waist, and she smiled up at him radiantly. It was the happiest John had seen her in a while.

Just then, the microphone screeched to life, announcing the arrival of the President. John winced, a hand flying up to his ear instinctually. Angelica frowned, muttering to Jack “I swear I fixed that microphone for him earlier.” President Washington was notorious among his friends for his inability to use electronics properly.

“Hello, everyone,” the President greeted the room. “Welcome to the White House!” There were scattered cheers, and a couple people raised their glasses. The room was noticeably lacking Republican politicians, which just made the party that much better in John’s opinion. “Dinner is served,” President Washington gestured towards where tables were set up. Alexander pulled John towards the largest table. Due to their friendship with the President and Lafayette, they had been given seats very close to the two of them.

John sat in his assigned seat. Alexander was next to him, of course, and Lafayette was on John’s other side, next to Washington. Eliza and Mulligan were seated across from John and Alexander, with Angelica on Eliza’s other side. A politician John vaguely recognized as a Senator from California was seated on Alexander’s other side. 

Each person had a card on their plate, with their name and a message thanking them for coming, along with Washington’s signature. John’s card had an additional message inside, telling him that “I’ve taken care of your request.” John smiled at this cryptic message, glancing quickly at Alexander to make sure he hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Thankfully, Alexander, Angelica, and Lafayette were talking quickly in French. From the little John could understand, they were discussing the food. John had long since learned that one of Alexander’s favorite parts of coming to the White House were the chefs. Lafayette had been involved with the planning of tonight’s meal, and appeared to be very proud.

As soon as everyone was seated, servers appeared, and conversation halted as everyone began to eat. Eventually, conversation picked up again, but John was too nervous to participate in much of it. Dessert was on its’ way, and with it, the ring that John hoped would soon decorate Alexander’s finger.

“John, is everything okay?” Alexander murmured during a lull in the conversation. John nodded, giving his boyfriend what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “We can leave early if you’re not feeling well,” Alexander offered. John held back a grimace-- had his smile looked that awful?

“This is part of your job,” John reminded him. “Besides, we’ve been showing our support of gay marriage for years. It would look a little strange if we left this party early.” Alexander nodded and resumed his conversation, although he kept an eye on John. 

Dessert came soon, although not quite soon enough for John’s liking. At this point, he was so nervous he didn’t think he could eat anything. Their server wheeled out a cart with small domed plates. He set a covered plate in front of each person, and the room was filled with oohs and aahs as the guests unveiled the delicious-looking cupcakes in front of them. It was quickly revealed that the inside of the cupcakes were rainbow-colored, in celebration of the reason they were all here.

John glanced to Alexander, but the latter still hadn’t uncovered his own plate. He was gazing at John, looking concerned. “Are you sure everything is okay?” Alexander asked worriedly. John nearly groaned in exasperation.

“Alex, I’m fine!” He cried. “Would you please eat your dessert?” Lafayette looked as though they were struggling not to laugh, knowing full well why John was so anxious. Alexander looked extremely confused, but dutifully took the cover off of his plate. He gasped, and the conversation around them fell silent as everyone’s eyes were drawn to Alexander’s plate.

A gorgeous diamond set into a simple gold ring was sitting in the middle of the plate. It was a simple cut, with tiny diamonds placed around the largest one. The silence spread down the table, gradually spilling into the other tables. 

By the time Alexander looked up, tears filling his eyes, John was on one knee next to his chair. He picked up the ring carefully, holding it out to Alexander.

“Alexander Hamilton,” John’s voice cracked embarrassingly. “Since the moment you walked into my life two years ago, you have brought nothing but happiness to me. You write non-stop, yet you still find time to make me feel like the luckiest man in the world. Would you make me truly worthy of that title, and be my husband?” 

For once in his life, Alexander looked as though he was incapable of speech. He nodded instead, and John slid the ring onto his finger. Alexander grabbed his hands, pulling him up hastily for a kiss. John laughed against Alexander’s mouth, filled with joy. He could dimly hear people clapping, and see cameras flashing, but he couldn’t care less. Alexander had said yes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally made up the Head of Communications job for Angelica-- no clue if it exists, but something like it must.  
> Also the cheesiest proposal I've ever written... still made me cry though.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18- Alexander

When Alexander had asked Mulligan to be his best man, he'd forgotten one of the most important jobs of the best man. Planning the bachelor party.

Mulligan had done his best to assuage Alexander’s fears. “It'll be great,” he'd said. “Just something simple.” Alexander and Mulligan had very different definitions of the word simple.

Mulligan had brought Alexander and Lafayette to a club they hadn't been to before. As soon as they'd gotten there, Lafayette had set up a tab for the three of them. Alexander and Aaron Burr we're currently in the friendship stage of their frenemies relationship, and so Burr had been invited, but he wasn't there yet. It was just the three of them.

And while they were waiting for Burr, Lafayette had decided to get the party started with some shots. No one was quite drunk yet, but Alexander and Lafayette were both very tipsy. Mulligan didn't get drunk nearly as easily as his friends, but it was obvious that he was on his way there.

“So, Fuck, Marry, Kill,” Lafayette suggested. They leaned back in their chair, teetering precariously. Mulligan pulled their chair back down, before nodding and signaling their server for more shots. 

“Okay, okay,” Mulligan laughed after downing three shots in a row. Alexander never failed to be impressed by his friend’s ability to drink. “Alex, fuck marry or kill Jefferson, Madison, and Burr?”

“Kill Jefferson,” Alexander said immediately. Mulligan laughed so hard he snorted.

“You and Burr already fight like a married couple,” Lafayette pointed out. When they were drunk, their accent was hilariously thick.

“True,” Alexander agreed. “But I don't want to marry Burr.”

“Probably a good thing,” Burr spoke from behind him. “Considering you're supposed to marry someone else tomorrow.”

“Well, if it isn't Aaron Burr,” Alexander cried. “Sir!” He raised a shot before tossing it back.

“I didn't think you would make it,” Lafayette grinned. 

“Well I heard,” Mulligan chimed in, handing Burr a shot. “You got a special someone on the side, Burr?”

“I should go,” Burr frowned.

“It's alright, Burr,” Alexander reassured him. “I wish you'd brought this girl with you tonight, Burr.”

“I'm afraid it's unlawful,” Burr sighed, dropping into a chair between Mulligan and Alexander. “She's married,” he informed them.

“I see,” Alexander nodded.

“She's married to a Republican politician,” Burr continued. While he didn't hold office like Alexander, he was a lawyer for many politicians. He leaned strongly to the left, although wasn't quite as radical as Alexander.

“Oh, shit,” Alexander said quietly. He tried to stand up and offer Burr a hug, but ended up falling down, the alcohol taking effect. Mulligan placed Alexander back into his chair easily.

“Congrats again, Alexander,” Burr stood to go. “Smile more,” he advised.

“I will never understand you,” Alexander shook his head. “If you love this woman, go get her! What are you waiting for?” 

“I'll see you later,” Burr sighed. Alexander watched him go with a brief pang of sadness, before promptly downing the shot Lafayette handed him.

“Fuck, marry, kill, anyone?” Lafayette offered. Alexander nodded, quickly forgetting Burr in the haze of alcohol. 

 

Several hours later, the three friends had ended up in Lafayette’s apartment. Mulligan had quickly claimed the couch, and was currently sprawled across it. Lafayette and Alexander were cuddling on the floor below him, attempting to share one Wii controller. Mulligan was kicking their asses at Mario Kart, likely because Alexander had given up on playing and started braiding Lafayette’s hair.

“Come on, you guys,” Mulligan complained, tossing down his controller as Alexander and Lafayette came in 11th place. “That was awful.”

“We're drunk,” Alexander giggled. “And at least we're not dead last!”

“Casse toi,” Lafayette added, high giving Alexander. They missed, much to Mulligan’s amusement.

“Wait, wait, guys,” Mulligan said suddenly. “I need to talk to you.” Lafayette spun around.

“Are you pregnant?” They exclaimed. Mulligan raised an eyebrow. “Did you get Eliza pregnant?” Mulligan shook his head.

“I think I want to take the first step towards doing that, though,” Mulligan said, sounding a lot more sober than he had a moment ago.

“You guys haven’t had sex yet?” Lafayette asked incredulously.

“What?” Mulligan frowned. “Of course we have.” He sighed, clicking the T.V. off. The room seemed to grow more sober. “Not to steal Alex’s thunder or anything, but I think I want to marry her.” Lafayette dropped the controller onto Alexander’s head in surprise.

“That’s great!” Alexander cried, rubbing his head. “When are you going to propose? Do you have a ring yet?”

Mulligan shook his head. “Eliza is amazing,” he told his friends. “I need it to be special for her, and as perfect as she is. I don’t know what to do! What if she says no?” Alexander had rarely seen Mulligan this nervous, and thought it was hilarious.

“She loves you,” Lafayette informed Mulligan. “Just get a pretty ring and take her on a picnic or something, girls love that.” 

“You’re gay, you’re no help,” Mulligan groaned. “Especially when you’re drunk. Alexander, any ideas?”

“Alex is gay too!” Lafayette cried indignantly. “Plus he’s way more drunk than I am. If I was drunk, would I be able to do this?” Mulligan and Alexander watched Lafayette for a moment. They just sat there.

“What are you doing?” Mulligan asked after a minute.

“Cartwheels,” Lafayette responded. “Am I not doing them?” Mulligan shook his head as Alexander giggled helplessly like a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time- John's bachelor party!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19- John

John had never had very many friends that were men. When he had started dating Alexander, their friends had quickly become each other’s friends, without many problems. This, however, had led to some complications when it came to planning their bachelor parties.

Mulligan had known Alexander the longest, and it went without saying that he would be the best man. He took over planning Alexander’s bachelor party immediately, with Lafayette’s help. Eliza, being the maid of honor, had declared herself in charge of John’s party.

John hadn’t expected a traditional bachelor party, considering Eliza was planning it. However, he certainly hadn’t expected a hen night.

When John had arrived at Eliza and Mulligan’s apartment, he had found himself the only male in the apartment. Mulligan had already left to pick up Alexander, and the Schuyler sisters, aka the bridesmaids, were already waiting for John. This wasn’t too much of a surprise. What was surprising was what followed.

Most people knew Eliza Schuyler as patient, sweet, and extremely innocent. While her close friends agreed with the first two, she wasn’t as innocent as everyone thought. However, the Eliza that had planned John’s bachelor party was not the Eliza that John thought he knew. 

Everything inside the apartment appeared to be dick-themed. The cupcakes had been arranged to resemble a giant penis, as had the red plastic cups for beer pong. Eliza had even found rings adorned with plastic penises for each of them. The pizza, which Peggy had made, appeared to be a Mickey Mouse head, but Eliza assured him that it was also meant to resemble a dick. She even put on Sex and the City while they were eating, causing John to nearly choke on his pizza. “Too many boobs,” he gasped.

“Some of us like boobs,” Peggy pouted. This time, Angelica had to pound John on the back to get him to stop coughing. That was not a mental image he had needed.

They settled on watching Parks and Recreation. Eliza started with the episodes leading up to Leslie and Ben’s wedding, and where she’d drawn her inspiration for the party quickly became clear.

“Please tell me there are no strippers coming,” John begged Eliza.

“We know, we know,” she waved him off. “You love Alex too much for that.” John sighed in relief, leaning back on the couch. “Nothing to do with government, either,” Peggy added as Leslie began trying to stop Jamm on-screen. “We get enough of that from Alex, Eliza, and Angelica.”

“Will you braid my hair?” Angelica asked, depositing her head in John’s lap without waiting for an answer. He began to finger-comb through her dark hair, untangling knots as he went. She sighed and yawned, and before John had even begun to braid, Angelica was asleep in his lap. John frowned, staring down at her.

“Is she okay?” John questioned. Peggy nodded, gazing down at her oldest sister.

“She's been busy lately,” Eliza frowned. “I haven't seen her outside of work in weeks. She's always either working or out with John.”

“Maybe they'll get married soon,” John suggested. “They've been dating for a while now, and they certainly love each other a lot.”

“Dad would flip shit,” Peggy shook her head. “He'd never come to the wedding, and he'd throw a giant hissy fit. He thinks we all need to marry someone richer than us, and someone who started as her intern would not be up to his standards.” John shrugged, combing through Angelica’s hair absentmindedly. The amount of stress she seemed to be under matched the amount of stress wedding-planning was putting on Alexander. But of course, she'd say something to her sisters if she was going to get married.

“Be nice if I could get married soon,” Eliza sighed. John glanced over at her in surprise. “Hercules and I have been dating for as long as you and Alexander,” Eliza pointed out. “We live together, we have a cat together, we love each other... this would just strengthen our relationship.”

“You’re not pregnant or anything, right?” Peggy asked, obviously in shock. Eliza shook her head, frowning at her sister. “Sorry!” Peggy held up her hands. “It’s just... well, it’s the first time you’ve mentioned it. When John proposed to Alex, he was talking about it for months, wanting it to be perfect.”

“Has Herc said anything to you guys about a proposal?” Eliza asked. John and Peggy shook their heads apologetically.

“He’d probably mention it to Alexander and Lafayette,” John pointed out. “I’m too close to you, he knows I can’t keep a secret from you.” Eliza nodded, but sighed as she queued up the next episode.

“Maybe I should propose to him,” she mused, almost to herself. 

“I always pictured you having a traditional proposal,” Peggy told her sister. “Where the guy would fall to his knees in front of you with a ring, and you’d start to cry because you were so happy.” That did sound like Eliza, John thought.

Eliza shrugged. “I don’t know, that would be nice,” she agreed. “But at the same time, it would make things easier, you know? It would be nice to have the formality for one thing, but it would make taxes easier. And if one of us was in the hospital for some reason, it would be much easier to visit. Besides...” she trailed off. “Promise not to tell anyone?” She asked quietly. “Except Angelica, of course.” John and Peggy nodded, leaning forward. “I had a pregnancy scare last week,” Eliza confided. “My period was late, and I took a pregnancy test. I’m not pregnant, but when I thought I was... my first thought was ‘I can’t wait to tell Hercules.’” Peggy squeaked and fell off the couch, and John’s mouth dropped open.

“You want to have kids with him,” John gasped. Eliza nodded, smiling shyly. Peggy pulled herself off of the floor and launched herself at her sister, hugging her tightly.

“Oh, your babies would be so cute!” Peggy cried. “I want to be Aunt Peggy now. I mean, I could never be a mother, but I would definitely be the cool aunt.” Eliza giggled, sharing a glance with John over her sister’s head. John smiled at Eliza, stroking Angelica’s head. It seemed as though everyone he knew had children or wanted children. He, of course, wanted children someday. But would Alexander?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wedding is next!!! Probably going to be a super long chapter. Happy International Pancake Day!


	20. Wedding!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gay wedding is gay and I'm crying

Chapter 20- Alex

Alex shrugged on his tuxedo jacket, eyeing himself in the mirror critically. Normally, John would help him prepare for an important event. They would straighten each other’s ties, make sure the jackets were buttoned properly, fix each other’s hair, and take several long breaks to make out. However, this event was a little too important for that.

While they were breaking many traditions with their wedding, one that they had elected to keep was not seeing each other from the morning of the wedding until the ceremony. They each had their own “dressing room” (Alex’s office, and Angelica’s office), purposely set up on opposite sides of the building. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were dashing from room to room, trying to keep both grooms happy (and keep them from sneaking out to fight someone, namely the Republicans that had been heckling them on Twitter all day long). 

While John had originally suggested marrying at the White House or the Capitol, President Washington had jumped on the idea. The guests would be seated in the East Room, where Peggy and Lafayette would walk down the aisle first. They’d decided against a flower girl, simply because they didn’t know anyone young enough. John would walk down the aisle first, accompanied by Martha Washington (standing in as his parental figure). After John reached the altar, Burr would accompany Angelica down the aisle. Next would come the best man and maid of honor, Eliza and Mulligan. Finally, Alexander and the President would come down the aisle.

For now, however, Alexander was alone in his office, surrounded by everything he could possibly need until the ceremony. He crossed the room to scoop his note cards up off of his desk, skimming through them. Alexander began to feel panic setting in. He’d finished writing his vows weeks ago, of course. But maybe he’d rushed through them? He loved John so much, he felt so strongly about him. Could his words convey that? They had to!

“Alex,” Mulligan’s voice broke through his thoughts, and Alexander realized his hands were caught between his best friend’s. “Alex, are you okay?” Mulligan’s eyes bore into his, and Alexander shook his head, twisting away. 

“What if he leaves me at the altar?” Alexander’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “What if he doesn’t say I do?”

“The only reason he wouldn’t say I do would be if he said ‘fuck yes,’” Mulligan reassured his friend. “Which is pretty likely, considering this is John we’re talking about. And he’s not going to leave you at the altar, the fool proposed to you!” Alexander nodded shakily. The door opened behind Mulligan, admitting Eliza and Lafayette.

“What’s going on?” Lafayette asked worriedly. Eliza didn’t bother asking, but moved past her boyfriend to pull Alexander into a hug. He dropped his head onto her shoulder, and she stroked a hand through his hair. Mulligan dropped a kiss onto Eliza’s forehead and hesitantly patted Alexander on the shoulder before ducking out of the room, presumably to check on John.

After a couple minutes of standing by awkwardly while Eliza and Alexander hugged, Lafayette tapped her shoulder to break them apart. “It’s time for me to go get in position,” they grinned. Alexander pulled Lafayette into a strong hug, and they nearly squeaked. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t crack my ribs, mon ami,” Lafayette advised. “And as much as I enjoy hugging you, I will be late to your wedding if you don’t let me leave now.” Eliza ushered them out the door, and Alexander watched them go. After a couple minutes, Eliza’s phone buzzed, and she led Alexander out the door.

“You have your vows ready?” She checked as they stopped outside the East Room. Mulligan was waiting for her, and they could see Angelica and Burr, who were already halfway down the aisle. Alexander nodded, patting his pocket. The notecards were there, but there was no way he’d forget the words. He’d debated tattooing them on, just in case, but Eliza had stopped him.

“Try not to die without us in the next two minutes,” Mulligan grinned down at Alexander as he took Eliza’s arm and accompanied her down the aisle. Washington had appeared sometime within the last few minutes without Alexander noticing, and he quickly tucked Alexander’s arm through his own as the music swelled.

“You’ll be fine, Alexander,” the President said gently. Alexander nodded, and then suddenly he was walking forward and everyone’s eyes were on him.

He glanced around briefly, taking in the flowers and the lights and the crowd before his eyes settled on John’s and his heart jumped into his throat. At the other end of the aisle, John’s radiant smile seemed to shine brighter than the constellations his freckles reminded Alexander of. His beautiful eyes were focused on Alexander, and if they were a little more glassy than normal, Alexander thought nothing of it. After all, his own eyes weren’t exactly dry.

Alexander could have stayed in that moment forever, merely staring at John. But before he knew it, he was standing right in front of him, and Washington was placing his hand in John’s. John squeezed his hand tight, and Alexander squeezed back quickly. His heart thudded in his chest, and he nearly missed the officiate start talking. He didn’t break John’s gaze, and squeezed his hands several more times as the officiate droned on. Soon, however, the officiate turned to him, and then John’s gaze became expectant. Time for the vows.

“When I first met John, I was falling hard after only a couple minutes,” Alexander began. “Here was this gorgeous man, who was funny and smart and passionate about all the right things. He liked me back, which is always important, and he was willing to go the extra mile with everything. When one of my bills got passed through Congress, he set up the most elaborate surprise anyone has ever created for me, just so he could see me smile.” Across from him, John smiled, and Alexander’s heart skipped a beat. “Throughout this relationship, he has been one of the most amazing person I know,” Alexander continued. John’s eyes looked as though they were filled with tears. “Honestly, the only reason he isn’t the most amazing person I know is because we have such great friends.” The attendees laughed, and Eliza winked at Alexander over John’s shoulder. He smiled at John as he continued, the words flowing out of him easily. 

Several minutes later, Alexander was nearly to the end of his vows, and John was nearly crying. Alexander reached out to cup John’s cheek as he finished. “You’ve made my life amazing,” Alexander said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so it will always be amazing. John Laurens, you are the love of my life.” A few tears snuck out of John’s eyes, and Alexander wiped them away quickly.

“I love you,” John choked out. “Full homo.” Alexander grinned, and John launched himself at Alexander, tangling his fingers into his husband’s hair as he crashed their mouths together. Over the sound of Angelica wolf-whistling, Lafayette and Hercules hooting, and everyone else clapping and cheering, Alexander could faintly hear the officiate sigh out “you may kiss your husband.”

Later, after food had been served, John stood up, tapping his champagne glass with his fork. The room fell silent, and Alexander glanced up at his husband. John smiled sweetly down at Alexander. “I didn’t get a chance to talk much earlier,” John announced to the room. “This sap made me cry too much.” Everyone laughed, and Burr muttered “he talked for six hours, the attendees were listless.” Alexander glared at Burr, but managed to refrain from snapping something back. It was his wedding day, after all.

“I’m so happy that I got to marry this man,” John continued. “He has brought me nothing but happiness, and I’m so glad to call him my husband. To Alex!” He raised his glass, and the guests echoed “to Alex.”

Several toasts later, Peggy wheeled out a giant white cake. Alexander perked up immediately. Wedding cake testing had been his favorite part of the planning process, and if it tasted anything like he remembered, it might be his second favorite part of the actual wedding. After kissing John, of course.

Alexander glanced over to John, who appeared to be just as excited. He grabbed Alexander’s hand and pulled him over to the cake, where Peggy presented them each with a knife. “Remember, you have to feed each other the cake,” she grinned. “But if either of you start a food fight in the East Room, Angelica will make sure you don’t live to the honeymoon.” John rolled his eyes at Alexander before slicing into the cake quickly. He picked up a fork and loaded it full of cake, then aimed it at Alexander’s mouth.

“Here comes an airplane,” John teased. Alexander laughed as he took the cake, accidentally smearing it around his mouth. A camera flashed behind John’s shoulder, and Alexander scooped up some frosting on his own fork. John opened his mouth expectantly, only to have Alexander dab it onto his nose. His mouth fell open in shock, and Peggy doubled over in laughter. Alexander leaned up to kiss his husband, not caring how much frosting he got on his own nose.

After a couple minutes, Alexander pulled back. At some point during the kiss, Peggy had started cutting up the cake and dishing it out to others, and Lafayette was talking to the D.J. “Let’s go dance,” John suggested, pulling Alexander towards the makeshift dance floor. A slow song came on, and John tugged Alexander close. Alexander rested his head on John’s chest, slipping his arms around John’s back. They swayed to the music, happy to hold each other and watch the other couples.

Nearby, Mulligan was twirling Eliza, who looked positively radiant in her bridesmaid dress. George Washington was dancing with Lafayette, while Martha Washington, his ex-wife, looked on approvingly. Even Burr was dancing, with someone Alexander recognized vaguely. After a moment, he realized it was Theodosia Bartow! She was the wife of a Republican senator from Texas, and judging by the way Burr was looking at her, she was the woman he’d mentioned last night. Alexander wondered briefly if this meant that Burr had taken his advice. That would be a nice change.

As the slow song came to an end, Alexander recognized the beginning of Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies.” He led John off of the dance floor and back to their table, which Peggy was just leaving, apparently on her way to the dance floor. It seemed as though her latest fling hadn’t worked out. “Are you going to throw the bouquet after this?” She asked, her eyes lighting up. “I wanna shove Eliza in front of it, that way Herc might propose.” John nodded, although Alexander groaned internally. He knew Mulligan wanted to propose, but he also wanted it to be special. He didn’t want his friend to be rushed.

“Maybe don’t do that, Peg?” Alexander asked quietly. “It’ll happen soon.” She gasped loudly, and Alexander shushed her frantically. “Go dance,” he mouthed, looking around for Eliza. Luckily, she was on the other side of the room.

“So, Hercules is proposing?” John whispered as he picked up the bouquet. Alexander nodded, pulling him in for a brief kiss. “Took him long enough,” John rolled his eyes.

“Took you long enough,” Alexander laughed. “Honestly though, if you didn’t do it, I probably would have proposed a couple weeks later.” John’s smile widened at this, and he kissed Alexander again as they made their way back to the dance floor just in time for the song to end. This time, no new song came on, and a couple heads turned to the dance floor.

“Ladies and monsieurs,” a French-accented voice said over the speakers. “If I could please have the unmarried ladies make their way to the dance floor? It’s time for the prophetic telling of who will be the next to marry.” Women rushed to the dance floor, and Alexander could hear Washington trying to explain to Lafayette that it wasn’t actually true.

John climbed up onto a chair, and Lafayette led the crowd in the countdown. As soon as the bouquet left John’s hands, however, there was a scramble to reach it. John hopped down, rejoining Alexander by the side of the stage as he watched bemusedly. Eventually, the crowd cleared a little bit to reveal a confused Angelica clutching the bouquet. Everyone clapped, although Alexander thought a couple girls looked a little sad. John leaned in to whisper in Alexander’s ear. “Is she dating John Church?” Alexander nodded.

“But not really officially,” Alexander told John. “Her father doesn’t like it, because he’s a lot poorer than her.” John nodded, before leaning in to whisper in Alexander’s ear again. This time, however, his words were a lot more suggestive. Combined with John’s mouth on his ear, they sent a shiver down his spine, and Alexander quickly leaned up to press his lips against his husband’s. “Our honeymoon is literally in three hours,” Alexander laughed between kisses. “You couldn’t wait?”

“Fuck no,” John replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get up! Took me a while to figure out what to do with it, and it only got updated today thanks to help from lafbaeyette (who has some really amazing stories y'all should check out!).


	21. A baby??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the Schuyler sisters have news!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place about a year after they've gotten married!

Chapter 21- John

John grinned as he poured what would hopefully be the last drink of the day. It was nearly 5, and Kitty’s was mostly empty. Peggy was on her last break of the day, as their shift ended in a couple minutes. 

“Ready to go?” He called into the back as the last customer left. When no response came, he frowned. It was a Friday night, and normally she’d be raring to go by now. John locked the cash register quickly and shucked off his apron as he stepped into the back. He glanced around, noting the closed bathroom door. “Peg, it’s time to go,” he called. He heard what might have been a groan, and knocked on the door.

The door swung open a couple minutes later, and Peggy nearly fell into John’s arms. “Can you take me to Eliza’s?” She asked, her voice soft. They’d taken to carpooling lately, since they nearly always had the same shift. John nodded instantly, although he was a little scared. Had she been crying? 

Peggy grabbed phone from under the counter, swinging her jacket on absentmindedly. She tossed John his keys, and he led her out to the car. She seemed to be in a daze, and stood in front of his car for several moments before finally getting in. John turned on the engine before realizing she hadn’t even buckled her seatbelt yet. She was just staring out the window.

“What’s wrong?” He asked tentatively, glancing over at her. She didn’t respond, but clicked her seatbelt into place. “Do you want me to get Angelica to meet us there, too?” She nodded, and John pulled out his phone instantly. 

To angel: can u meet me at liza’s??  
To angel: i have peggy and she’s freaking me out  
From angel: i’m with Alex right now, can I bring him

John checked with Peggy, who didn’t seem to care either way.

To angel: i think  
To angel: just get there quick

From betsey: What’s wrong with Peggy?  
To betsey: idk but i’ll be there asap

John’s mind spun as he pulled onto the street and headed for Eliza and Mulligan’s apartment. Peggy had been fine all day, hadn’t she? She’d seemed perfectly normal, at least. She’d stepped out about an hour ago, saying she was headed to the pharmacy to refill a prescription. When she came back, she’d informed John she needed to take a quick break, and that had been the last he’d seen of her. Did something happen?

Before he managed to reach a conclusion, he was pulling into a spot in front of Eliza and Mulligan’s apartment complex. Peggy looked up, and opened her door immediately. “Wait!” John cried, lunging across her body to close it. A car whizzed by seconds later, and John pulled back. “Look before you open the door,” he reminded her. Peggy nodded, stepping outside quickly. John followed her into the elevator, locking the car over his shoulder.

They reached Eliza and Mulligan’s apartment quickly, and the door opened before Peggy had even raised her hand to knock. Eliza stood in the doorway, her long hair pulled up in a messy bun and her face creased in worry. Behind her was Angelica, looking just as nervous. Mulligan, Lafayette, and Alex were sitting on the couch together, each nursing a beer.

Peggy let out a strangled sob and fell into Eliza’s arms. Eliza instantly pulled her sister inside, leading her towards the couch. Lafayette and Alex hopped up instantly, giving the sisters room to sit. Angelica hovered over them anxiously, wringing her hands. Her younger sisters held each other for a few moments, and then Peggy finally looked up at Angelica. “Please don’t kill me,” she whispered.

“I would never,” Angelica said immediately, gesturing Mulligan out of the way so that she could sit on Peggy’s other side. “What’s wrong? Who do we need to kill?” Peggy shook her head.

“It’s my fault,” she said listlessly. Both of her sisters immediately started to reassure her, although they looked unsure as to what exactly they were telling her, but Peggy held up a hand. “I’m pregnant,” she said bluntly, looking anywhere except them. The room fell silent, and Alex nearly dropped his beer.

“I... thought you were a lesbian?” Eliza asked after a moment, rubbing a hand across her brow. John had thought so too.

“I had a date with a trans girl a couple weeks ago,” Peggy admitted. “She didn’t have bottom surgery, and I didn’t know so I didn’t have a condom, and I...” she trailed off, as if unsure what she could add. Her eyes glistened.

“Okay,” Angelica said gently. It was a little shocking to hear such a soft tone from her, since normally John only saw her yelling at Alex, but then again, not much could shock John right now. “That’s okay, sweetie, we’re not mad. None of us are.” She glanced up, and while her tone may be soft and sweet, her eyes were as hard as flint, daring anyone to say otherwise. “Do you know what you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” Peggy answered, folding her arms around her stomach. John glanced down, but she was still as thin as ever. “I couldn’t get an abortion, I just... I couldn’t make that choice. But I don’t want to be a mother.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and John’s heart went out to her. She was the youngest of the Schuyler sisters, the youngest of their group, but she was so loud and brazen and confident that it was easy to forget that sometimes.

“Do you think you want to give the baby to someone else?” Angelica asked, her voice still unnaturally soft. Peggy nodded, hiccuping, and Eliza rubbed her back soothingly. John couldn’t imagine how she must feel. To know you’ll have a baby, but not wanting it? John had known he wanted kids for a long time, and he couldn’t imagine anything else.

Wait a minute... John wanted kids. It wasn’t very likely that he or Alex would get pregnant soon, and Peggy had mentioned to him wanting to be an aunt. Would she be willing to be an aunt to the child she gave birth to? Would she want to live so close to her biological child? Would Alex even want kids?

John cleared his throat, and everyone looked to him. He felt his cheeks grow hot, but he opened his mouth anyways. “Alex, can I talk to you for a second?” He asked, his eyes begging Alex to understand. His husband nodded, a fire lighting up in his eyes, and they moved into Mulligan’s workroom.

“You want kids,” Alex said as soon as the door was closed. John looked up, surprised. They’d never really talked about it much, but due to Alex’s childhood, John hadn’t been sure if he would want kids. John nodded, and Alex grinned. “Do you think she’d want us to have her baby?” Alex asked, and John could tell he was already making plans in his head.

“I don’t know,” John replied. “But if you’re willing... we could ask?” Alex leaned forward to kiss him, and John grinned into the kiss. 

They stepped back into the living room hand in hand, and everyone turned to look at them. Peggy appeared to be slightly calmer, clutching both of her sisters’ hands. Lafayette and Mulligan were leaning against the wall, and they’d both set their beers down.

“Peggy,” Alex moved towards her, reaching for her right hand. Eliza relinquished it, and he took it with his free hand. John and Alex both knelt in front of her, and she gazed down at them in confusion. “If you’re going to give your baby to someone else, could you consider John and me as your first applicants?” Her jaw dropped open, and John could see Angelica and Eliza trading glances over her head. “You’d be able to see them, and be close to them, but you wouldn’t have to be their mom. They could know who gave birth to them, or not, whatever you want. They’d have a great family, and we’d love them.” 

John thought he could see the beginning of a smile creep onto her face. “I’d have a couple conditions,” she said after a minute. John felt his face light up instantly. That meant yes, right? “First, I want to name them,” she said. John and Alex both nodded, and she moved on. “Also, I want you both to come to the doctor appointments. If they’ll be yours, then they need to be yours from the start. We’ll get the necessary paperwork done, but I don’t want to be their mom. I’ll be Aunt Peggy, okay? I’m just the surrogate.” Alex laughed, the sound music to John’s ears, and launched himself forward to pull Peggy into a hug.

“Whoa, whoa!” John cried. “Be careful! Don’t hurt the baby.” Peggy groaned.

“I’m three weeks pregnant,” she reminded John. “The baby’s probably the size of a pin right now.” Mulligan chuckled, and the worry lines in Eliza’s face finally smoothed out a little.

“Can I share my good news now?” Eliza asked, taking Peggy’s hand back from Alex. Everyone nodded, and Peggy fixed her eyes on her older sister immediately. “Hercules proposed!” Eliza squealed, untucking her left hand from the couch cushions to reveal a glittering sapphire ring. Peggy shrieked, and Angelica fell off of the couch in shock. 

“Mon amis!” Lafayette cried, practically bounding over the coffee table to hug Mulligan. “This is wonderful! Please, let me plan your wedding? I had so much fun with John and Alexander’s, and it will be such a wonderful occasion!” Eliza glanced at Mulligan, a fearful expression taking over her face.

“Uh, Laf,” Mulligan frowned. “We just want to keep it simple, so we were thinking of going down to the county office in a few weeks or so. I mean, I’ll make her a dress, because she deserves nothing less, but we’ll probably just come back and have cake at the apartment before heading to Hawaii for a couple weeks.” Laf’s mouth fell open comically.

“You’re rushing it?” They cried dramatically. “Why? Is she pregnant?”

“No!” Mulligan responded, although he glanced at Eliza first as though double-checking. “We just don’t need a big fuss, and I don’t want to wait.” Lafayette pouted, but nodded. “That doesn’t mean you’re not invited,” Mulligan added. “And we’ll have a party. But we don’t quite need to rent out the White House and have months of preparation like Alex and John did.”

“Damn, Angie,” Peggy whistled. “Looks like you’ll have to drum up some big news soon, too.” Angelica froze for a minute, and both of her sisters whirled on her immediately. “What’s that look?” Peggy cried accusingly. “What did you not tell us?” John glanced at Alex, who seemed to be just as confused as everyone else.

“Do you remember when Washington went to California last weekend?” Angelica asked. Everyone nodded, and it seemed as though even the walls were leaning in with bated breath. “I went, obviously, and I took Jack with me as my assistant, and we had a layover in Nevada and we... um...” she looked like she didn’t know how to say it, and John frowned. She couldn’t be about to say what he thought she was, right? 

“Oh my god,” Eliza breathed, and John glanced at her. The middle Schuyler sister’s eyes were fixed on Angelica’s neck, and John followed her gaze curiously. Angelica was fiddling with a necklace that John had never seen before, and with a start, he realized that the pendant was a simple gold band. A wedding band.

“I was going to wait until tomorrow night to tell you guys,” Angelica said quietly, unclasping her necklace and sliding the ring onto her finger. Laf looked ready to faint, and Mulligan’s eyebrows were so high that John thought they might jump off of his face. “I didn’t think everyone would be in one place before then, but... I’m married, guys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter!! Enjoy, y'all.  
> Come talk to me on tumblr @he-wrote-the-other-51


	22. Babies!!

Chapter 22- Alexander

Alexander scowled down at his phone as it lit up with yet another message. 

Jeffershit: Yes? No? Answer me, jackass!!

Alexander groaned and tapped out a response, then tossed it onto his bed. Unfortunately, it hit John on the back.

“Ow,” John grumbled, rolling over. Alexander looked over at his husband, smiling apologetically. John sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily. “What's wrong?” He asked.

Alexander sighed, and John patted the bed next to him. He sank down, letting John comb through his hair soothingly. “Jefferson’s texting me,” he complained. 

“Why?” John asked incredulously. “He hates you. Is it a trick? Do I need to fight him?” Alexander paused, frowning. He hadn’t considered that, and to be honest, he wouldn’t put it past Jefferson.

“I don’t know,” he replied after a moment. “He said Madison put him up to it.”

“Up to what?” John asked, his fingers pausing. Alexander butted his head against John’s hand impatiently, and he resumed playing with Alexander’s hair.

“We’ve been invited to their wedding,” Alexander told him. “Apparently Madison wants us to mend fences or whatever.” John didn’t look impressed by this. “I said yes,” Alexander added the last part in a mumble, half-hoping that the other man wouldn’t hear.

“You said yes?” John questioned, turning Alexander to face him. “Why?”

“Their wedding is two days before Peggy’s due date,” Alexander shrugged. “With any luck, she’ll have given birth by then and we’ll be too busy with our baby too come.” 

John grinned. “So you’ll crush his hope a couple days before the wedding when she gives birth? I like your way of thinking, babe.” 

 

Unfortunately, several months later (8, to be exact), it was the day of Jefferson and Madison’s wedding. And Peggy was still very pregnant. Now, Alexander disliked this for a number of reasons. For one thing, Peggy had been staying with him and John since the third month of her pregnancy, in case anything happened. They’d wanted to be there for everything-- for the first kick, to read to the baby, to see every milestone they could. They’d loved every minute of it. However, on nearly exactly the first day of the third trimester, Peggy’s mood swings had increased, and her cravings had kicked in. Hard.

“Alex, do we have any pickles?” Peggy asked as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, trying to fasten his tie one-handed while he juggled a mug of coffee with the other hand. Alexander jumped, spinning around. She was sitting on the couch with her feet propped up on a pillow, a huge jar of marshmallow fluff in front of her. He really hoped she didn’t plan on combining them. Watching her eat sardines and Nutella had been bad enough.

“Probably not, sorry,” Alexander apologized. “Neither of us like them that much. Do you want me to go get some?”

“Nah, you’ll be late to the wedding if you do,” Peggy sighed. “I’ll make do.” Alexander frowned. He would have loved to be late to the wedding!

“Morning babe,” John greeted him as he came into the kitchen, already dressed to go to the wedding. “Mother of my babe,” he dropped a kiss on Peggy’s forehead, and then another one on her swollen belly. “Alex, can you please put on your dress pants? We need to leave soon, we don’t have an excuse to stay home.” 

“I can’t find them,” Alexander threw up his hands. “Let’s just buy Peggy pickles and stay home and--”

“Yeah, I don’t think any of us are going to stay home today,” Peggy cut him off suddenly. John and Alexander both turned to look at her as she pressed a hand against her belly with a wince. “Either I just pissed myself, or the baby’s coming.”

John snapped into action immediately, grabbing the duffel bags they’d prepared from the closet and darting outside. Alexander helped Peggy up, grabbing her jar of marshmallow fluff after she pointed to it, and helped her slip into her shoes. He grabbed his own and held the door open for her, leading her carefully to the elevator. 

“You couldn’t have found a pair of pants first?” John frowned, looking Alexander up and down critically. Alexander looked down at himself, realizing suddenly that he was wearing a dress shirt and tie, long socks, sneakers, and John’s favorite boxers.

“He looks fine,” Peggy grinned, wiping away a little sweat that had beaded up on her forehead. “Now can we get me to the car before the contractions start?” The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival on the ground floor, and Alexander and John ushered Peggy to the car instantly.

She stretched out in the backseat while Alexander yanked on a pair of sweatpants from his duffel, and John sped towards the hospital as quickly as was legal. Unfortunately, before they were even halfway there, Peggy moaned loudly, and John nearly crashed the car into a truck in his panic.

“Are you okay?” He asked desperately. Alexander twisted in his seat, and Peggy grabbed for his hand. 

“Fuck,” she bit out, clenching Alexander’s hand so hard he swore he could hear a pop. “Fuck fuck fucking drive.” Minutes later, a stretcher was meeting them at the entrance to the hospital, and Alexander’s hand was purple. He and John practically sprinted behind the stretcher, trying to reassure Peggy. She hadn’t stopped cussing in the last five minutes, even when the contractions paused, and Alexander’s ears were ringing with her threats of castration for the entire male race.

 

Several hours later-- much longer than John or Alexander would have liked-- they were finally let back into Peggy’s room. Eliza and Angelica flanked the bed, and Peggy was propped up against pillows. John nearly shoved a nurse out of the way, yanking Alexander towards the bed.

Peggy looked up as they approached. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, and her eyes were red from crying, but she smiled at them and held out the little bundle in her arms.

John took the baby-- their baby-- from her arms carefully. Alexander noted that their child was wrapped in a blue blanket, and a blue-and-white striped hat adorned his little head. “A boy?” He whispered incredulously.

Peggy nodded, beaming. “Philip,” she told them. “His name is Philip Laurens-Hamilton.” Alexander’s eyes were filled with tears, but he hardly cared. His son was in his husband’s arms, and fuck him gently with a rusted chainsaw if that wasn’t the most beautiful sentence he’d ever thought.

“Hi, Philip,” John said quietly. His eyes were filled with tears, too, shining brighter than Alexander had ever seen them. On their wedding day, Alexander had thought that he’d never seen John look more gorgeous than he did right then. However, this was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

As Alexander looked on, stroking one of Philip’s little hands gently, two sets of eyelashes fluttered. John froze, and Philip’s eyes blinked open for the first time. He didn’t cry, merely looked up at them, and Alexander’s heart stuttered in his chest. He had known that babies were tiny, of course. But Philip was so small, it didn’t seem possible! 

“Do you want to hold him?” John asked quietly. Alexander nodded instantly. His heart started beating again, and it seemed like it was beating ten times faster than before. What if he dropped him? He was so tiny, so beautiful. What if Alexander did it wrong?

Before he could truly begin to panic, John was settling their Philip into his arms. Alexander adjusted quickly, supporting his head with a hand the way they’d been taught in the parenting classes. Philip was looking at him, and for a moment Alexander forgot how to breathe. He’d never known he could love someone this much.

 

Four years later...

Alexander’s phone, balanced precariously on top of a Lego house, began to ring. Alexander dove for it immediately, catching it just as it teetered and began to fall down. 

“Yay, Daddy!” Philip clapped, promptly stacking another Lego where the phone had been. Alexander grinned at his son, swiping his finger across his phone’s screen to accept the call. 

“Mr. Laurens-Hamilton?” A female voice asked. “This is Laura, from the adoption agency.” Alexander sat up quickly, nearly knocking over the Lego house.

“Sorry, Philip,” he whispered. Philip continued playing, not seeming to care. “Yes?” Alexander cleared his throat. He and John had been waiting for this call for months now. “Can we take her home?”

“You sure can,” Laura replied sunnily. “She’s in one of our offices downtown right now, actually. Would you like to come meet Frances Laurens-Hamilton?” Alexander barely manages to stutter out a “yes, thank you, we’ll be there in twenty minutes” before he’s setting the phone down and turning to Philip with a beam on his face.

“Do you want to go meet your little sister?” Alexander asks Philip. His son nods immediately, and Alexander scoops him up. “JOHN!” He yells, already moving towards the door and grabbing his keys. His husband pokes his head out of the kitchen immediately. “Let’s go get Frances,” Alexander tells him, and John’s face lights up faster than Washington D.C. on the Fourth of July.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historically, Alex's firstborn was named Philip, and John's Frances. I had Peggy name him Philip after her father, keeping it realistic.  
> Well, it's officially done! Thanks for sticking with me, guys.  
> I still have lots of plans for fics, so please check back soon!


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